


Moments Lived and Unlived

by Montreat11



Series: Moments Series [13]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, Family Drama, Friendship, Heavy Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-15
Updated: 2017-09-25
Packaged: 2018-11-01 03:10:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 52
Words: 109,818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10913097
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Montreat11/pseuds/Montreat11
Summary: The road to love is filled with struggles and complexities. The road to hate is a far easier path to take. 13th in the Moments Series. Belle's perspective of events that take place in Storybrooke in season 6A. Begins with waking up in the Red Room, ends with saying good-bye to Gideon.





	1. A Red Awakening

Red.

Nothing but red.

Everywhere she looked the color red met her eyes.

Red and orange and yellow and-

Fire!

Bright flashes of light that burned her eyes and threatened to blind her.

The moment she realized that there was nothing but fire everywhere around her she screamed and began to frantically search the room around her for shelter, for a door, for a way out! But there was none. The room was four solid walls with columns and curtains but no windows and no doors. And heat. So much heat. Just when she got a good look around her, the flames flared and forced her to look away as another flash roared up and temporarily limited her vision. She could feel the heat and quickly pushed the hat and jacket she'd been wearing off of her and onto the floor, rolling her sleeves up. She was so desperate for comfort that she even reached under her skirt to peel off the tights she'd put on days ago.

Days ago…

Days ago she'd been in Storybrooke, she'd been an optimistic woman, with the promise of her husband, a job, a home…and now here she was. No optimism. No promise, at least not one that she wanted. No job, no home, it was just her, a sleeping curse, and a small being who she hoped was safe inside her.

"It's alright," she whispered hugging her arms around her stomach. "It's alright; there's got to be a way out of here. We'll find something."

But she heard her lack of commitment in her own voice. This wasn't a puzzle or a threat or a villain. It was magic. It was a curse. And curses were called curses for a reason. They weren't pleasant. Or rational. If she were in Storybrooke, if someone had just captured her again or she was being held hostage in the Dark One's castle again she would have yelled and screamed and tried to find a door she knew had to be hiding somewhere. But this wasn't Storybrooke. She wasn't even convinced that "this" was anywhere. She'd heard of people trapped in Sleeping Curses before, and she knew that their bodies didn't go anywhere or disappear. Which meant that she could only assume she hadn't either. This wasn't a real place. Her body was probably still in the Underworld, still in Rumple's shop, safe and sound, protecting the baby within her just as she'd intended to. But her mind…it was here, in this odd place which resembled hell far more than the Underworld did.

How unexpected. She'd left one kind of hell for another.

"Hello?"

She froze at the sound of the voice and began to look around. She had heard that, hadn't she? Or was it just another trick of the room?

"Hello?!" she cried back. She never knew fire could sound so loud, but the rush of it was overwhelming it was deafening. And it was hard to locate anything in this room that wasn't red or burning! Even the unblackened paint on the walls appeared red.

"Hello?!" she finally heard again. "Is someone there?" The voice was deep and unfamiliar. It seemed to echo around the room, but she could have sworn she heard it coming from across the room. The floor, she hadn't looked at it before, but it was made of bright white square lights. The fire was spread over it of course, but…nothing was burning.

She hadn't noticed that before, but now she found her eyes frantically searching the room once more. It was burning, the entire thing was, but the columns didn't crumble, the curtains didn't turn to ash, the beams of the room didn't fall, and the lights of the floor didn't go out. Her clothes?

"Oh!" she rushed back to the place that she'd dumped them and tried to step on the flames that were smoldering on the cuff of her jacket. Her clothes burned. So…the room was fine, but she wasn't. Oh, this really was hell. It was miserable! How was she supposed to wait here to wake up?!

Hope, said a small voice in her head. The hope that if Rumple woke her up, if she was able to hold her child in her arms in nine months knowing that he was safe, she could endure this. She knew she could! Even if she wished with all her might that the tears streaming down her cheeks could put the fires out.

"Who are you?!"

The voice! It called to her again! Though she would regret letting her things burn, she had to acknowledge that as long as the room was on fire she wasn't going to need them and they weren't real anyway.

"Hello!" she called turning away from them. "Where are you?!"

The woman didn't need to answer her call, as soon as she turned back to the lighted floor she saw her standing there. A woman with hair that was either dark brown or black, but it was too difficult to tell with the discoloration. She was wearing a dress, singed at the bottom, with a corset of some kind around her abdomen. Lacey's mind rebelled against that thought. Whatever it was that she was wearing was not doing the job a corset was meant for, this was more like an armor of some kind. And it had to be hot! She couldn't fathom why she hadn't taken it off! And she was at least still wearing her shoes; she couldn't understand that either.

"Who are you?" she asked the girl in a small voice. Was it possible she was here to help? Was this part of the curse?

The girl only stared at her and shook her head. "What?!" she hollered pointing to her ear.

Right. The noise. Though she had approached the girl and they were standing relatively close together, they were still separated by flames, and the noise was still loud. She had to yell to be heard.

"Who are you?!" she cried louder.

"Dorothy!" the woman called back. "Dorothy Gale!"

Dorothy Gale? Why did that name sound familiar? Someone she'd heard of? In a good way or a bad way?

"What are you doing here?!"

She watched as the woman looked around the room and then shook her head. "I don't know!" she called back. "Who are you?! What are you doing here?!"

So, was she under a sleeping curse too and just didn't know it? "I'm Belle," she answered. "I think I'm in a sleeping curse!"

"A sleeping curse?!" she woman screamed sounding hurt and confused, maybe even a little bit scared. Did she really not know what happened to her.

"How long have you been here?!" she asked.

The girl answered, but she couldn't make the words out, she hadn't said them loud enough. But judging from the overwhelmed and hopeless look on her face and the shapes her mouth had made, she didn't know how long she'd been here. That was frightening.

"Well…how did you get here?!" she questioned next.

"I don't know!" the woman called back. "One minute I was in Oz and the next…" the woman held out her hands as if to say that the next moment she was here, but that wasn't what caught her ear.

"Did you say Oz?!"

Dorothy Gale nodded. "I broke into the witch's castle alone! She caught me and pricked my finger…"

The rest of Dorothy's story was irrelevant. She understood. In fact, from the sound of it, she understood what had happened more than Dorothy understood. If she was from Oz then she could think of only one witch that would have had a castle. It was Zelena. She'd broken into Zelena's castle and been caught, but…that must have been at least a week ago! Zelena had been in Storybrooke and the Underworld with her for days! Had this girl really been here all this time? Longer?! And…Dorothy Gale…

She felt her jaw drop as suddenly she placed the name. She'd read it in a book she'd used to do research on Zelena when she'd first started terrorizing the Enchanted Forest a year ago. But she hadn't read it in any book that had been from the Enchanted Forest, she'd read it in a book that had somehow made it's way into their world from the Land Without Magic. And this girl didn't know of sleeping curses, or magic…was it really possible?

"Dorothy Gale," she muttered. "Hey! Are you the same Dorothy Gale who-"

She was gone.

Breathless, she turned around and around in the red room trying to locate the girl she'd just been talking to. But there was no mistaking what she saw. The girl was gone! She'd vanished into nothing! And she just couldn't figure out how it was possible! She hadn't taken her eyes off of her for long! It had been barely a second of shock that she'd looked away and now she'd just disappeared!

Her mind was spinning as she tried to figure out what had happened. What kind of room was this? Was the girl real? Had she ever actually been here or was she just a figment of her imagination? She didn't seem like someone she would ever have imagined. If she pictured a person then she knew that the corset she was wearing would have at least been a real corset! And she couldn't come up with any reason why this room or her mind would summon Dorothy Gale from the Wizard of Oz to keep her company. Which left her with only more questions. If Dorothy Gale had been real, then why was she even in Oz in the first place, nearly every book she'd ever read told her that Dorothy had gone back to Kansas! How and why had she gone back to Oz? Why had she broken into Zelena's castle? And perhaps the most important question of all: where was she now?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! For those of you that are just checking out this fiction, welcome! For those of you who are a fan of the Moments Series, welcome back! I hope you'll enjoy this fiction. It's the 13th in the Moments Series, a series that is an attempt at an accurate portrayal of Belle's perspective during the Once Upon a Time series. This fiction features everything that happened in Storybrooke from the moment that Belle wakes up in the Red Room in "Ruby Slippers" in up to the moment that she says good-bye to Gideon in "Changelings". 
> 
> If you enjoy this fiction, please leave kudos or a comment! I always enjoy those wonderful gems waiting for me in my inbox and I love writing back to thank you personally for reading! It helps me know that I'm doing a decent job! Peace and Happy Reading!


	2. An Encounter With The Dream Walker

She was going to go mad here. There was no other option for her.

There was no sense of time, day or night, days or weeks or months.

Her body never yearned for food and none ever appeared.

Sleep never called to her, though she did try.

There were few safe spots from the flames that taunted her second after second. An invisible wind blew, a flame burst to life in front of her eyes, when she turned away to find safety it usually happened all over again. But now and then she found a small patch of area that was not burning and she was able to curl up in the little space and rest. There was still fire there it rained down from the ceiling that never actually burned, but it was never consistent enough to pose a danger to her. In the end, after an uncertain amount of time, she'd discovered that the only way to keep truly comfortable was to just lay down on the floor in a ball and wait. Wait for something she couldn't wait for, with nothing to do, and nothing to look at.

She thought she should have been used to it, after all those years she'd spent in Regina's tower, being held prisoner, but maybe that was what made it worse. Suddenly, compared to this prison, her little round room in Regina's tower looked comfortable, and in the absence of the desire for food and water, she yearned to return to that space once more, to the cozy cot and tones of blue and black. At least she wasn't overheated all the time. At least she'd had a sense of morning, afternoon, and night. At least she'd been able to sleep. At least she'd been able to eat, to walk around, to put a little mark on the wall to signal the time was passing. She had none of that here.

Had she been here an hour? A day? A year? Was her body still in the Underworld? Did the others ever triumph over Hades? Was her child still his property? Was he angry because she'd placed herself under a curse and he couldn't take the child from her?

She had to assume the answer to most of those questions was not good. If she was still here, if she was still stuck in the room, then that was all she needed to know. Rumple still hadn't succeeded in getting their child from Hades, she was still in the Underworld, her father had no idea she was under a curse, and until she opened her eyes safely back in Storybrooke, there was no hope she would see something that wasn't red.

Timeless time ticked by as she stared catatonically at the fire on the ceiling and did the only thing she could to pass the time. She rubbed her stomach and talked. She talked to the only other being there was, the one who was inside of her, shielded from the terror that surrounded her.

She told the baby all about herself. Every last thing that came to mind. She told the baby about her parents, her family and their heritage, the Kingdom she'd once thought she would rule. She told the baby about Gaston and Samuel, about Storybrooke and the family the child would have there. But when she got to the baby's father…she found that she didn't have words. At first, she'd held firm in her hope, she was here for a reason and the reasons were her own as was her choice to leave Rumpelstiltskin in possession of her body. But the more time she spent in the Red Room, the more she felt her thoughts twist and turn into darkness as she came to resent the man that she believed more and more had put her here.

 _This was his fault,_ she silently concluded during one such time of peace. She was here because she had to be, because she'd had no choice. If she hadn't done this Hades might have had their child right now! In not working with her, he'd forced her to take desperate measures, and do this.

Oh, of course, she rebelled against that idea. There were rare moments of clarity, moments when she had to admit it wasn't all his fault, that he'd made this deal before she came along and truly thought that she'd be in the clear, moments she knew that this had been her plan and he'd tried to talk her out of it.

But a moment later she always came back to another reason why it was his fault.

Back and forth it went in her mind, his fault, her fault, his fault, her fault. With every offense, she found a defense, and with every defense, there was a new offense.

Their relationship was a mess, this room of burning fire a reflection of it, if the relationship even still existed outside of this child. They might have been okay, they might have been if he was still human, if he wasn't the Dark One and there was nothing special about this child. They might have been able to put it aside and forgive him and they might have been able to be happy together again and even be a family, but as long as he was this way, as long as he believed he could truly love her and his curse equally, as long as he believed that he could have the Dark One and her...she wasn't sure this wasn't bound to keep happening. They had a child now, whether they were ready for one or not, and after spending so much time with little Neal and Robin's daughter, she had come to believe that the time for adventures was behind them. If they were going to be together then they had to be together! They had to have similar visions of a future, they had to work together and agree on morals, they had to stop seeing the pink house has just a place they went to sleep when they weren't busy and truly make it into a home. A proper home, with a nursery, a refrigerator that was stocked with food that hadn't gone bad, laundry that wasn't done in haste, and parents who were just down the hall ready to give up the world for their child because that was their next and biggest adventure.

All she needed to do was put a hand on her belly and look at the fiery ceiling and know she was ready to do something like that.

But was Rumple?

Her biggest fear at the moment was that he wasn't. And so long as he wasn't then they couldn't-

"AH!" she shrieked as fire flared on the floor to her right as she realized she'd been idle in one spot for too long. She rolled as fast as she could and struggled to get to her feet. Her sleeve was on fire and she quickly used the heel of her hand to stamp it out. It was painful; there was no way around it. But the ends of her dress were nothing but rags made of blackened burned fabric, proving just how much she'd learned that flailing her body in the air didn't put the fire out. If she could step on it she should, if she had to use her hands then she had to use her hands. As a result, the soles of her feet and the palms of her hands were angry red color, but at least her dress was still on, though her brown coat and hat, her tights and shoes, had burned…however long ago they'd burned. She didn't even have a time she could acknowledge their demise.

Rising to her feet, feeling that same odd wind blow once more, pushing her forward, she rubbed her hand once more over the skin below her belly button as she stumbled.

It was worth it.

It was worth it.

She just had to keep telling herself that.

It was worth it.

It was worth it.

It was-

"Here again…"

Her eyes widened at the voice, a voice that she recognized this time around and she quickly pushed herself up off the lit floor, suddenly remembering that the fire had only been on the floor when Dorothy was in the room.

There was someone else here. Someone she knew.

"Aurora?!" she screamed looking around. "Aurora!"

She let herself smile for the first time since she'd been trapped in this unending torture room as Aurora turned her head and her eyes widened. It was odd. She was surprised when she'd arrived here, and clearly, Dorothy had been as well, but Aurora didn't seem shocked by the room or the fire…she seemed surprised to see her there.

"Belle!" she exclaimed looking her over. "You're here?!"

"So are you!" she observed. "Who put you under a curse?"

"Under a curse? I'm…oh!" she seemed suddenly appropriately frustrated as she looked around at the room and the fire. She was about to shout at her, to explain that she should be careful because the fire could burn her when the Princess just stood there with her eyes closed for a moment. It was the most baffling thing since she'd arrived here, but she was also the first face that she'd seen since and she was desperate for a connection to another being that she greedily drank in her actions, simple as they were. Stupid as they were. To her shock on the other side of the room, Aurora opened her eyes and took a confident step forward. She meant to warn her once more as she approached the flames-

But the flames didn't hurt her. Instead, the flames swept away from her as she moved toward her. They didn't touch her, they didn't even come near her and while the flames didn't cease, their intensity died significantly. "Aurora!" she gasped as the woman came closer to her. It was the first time that she hadn't had to scream to hear herself and though she'd never really known the woman well she found herself launching herself into her arms.

She cried as she hugged the woman and felt her legs slip out from under her as she collapsed safely onto the floor. "It's okay!" Aurora breathed in her ear. "It's okay; you're going to be okay!"

"I'm not!" she cried. "We're not! If you're here, we're under a sleeping curse!"

"I know," she stated pulling away and looking desperately at her. "I mean…I'm not under a curse, you may be, but I'm not."

"But you're here! You're here you must-"

"No! No, it's just something that happens after you've been here," she assured her. She knew that Aurora had meant for those words to bring her comfort, or reassure her, but they did the exact opposite. All she'd told her was that she'd come back here even if she managed to wake up and leave this place, she'd told her there was no escape, she'd-

"No!" Aurora quickly blurt out getting closer to her as she read her mind. "No, it happens but not always. I just spent so much time asleep I can walk dreams now and…look!" She watched as Aurora fiddled with something beneath what looked like a nightgown, not unlike what she would have worn to bed in Storybrooke, and pulled something on a chain out from under it. "Henry gave it to me long ago, when the Ice Queen was still around," she explained as she looked over the charm on the end. "It keeps the fire from hurting me when I come here."

She reached out and placed a finger over the charm touching it with shaking fingers and wishing with all her might that she might be able to have it, to use it. She wanted free from here so badly…

She was nothing but tears when Aurora reached out and cupped her cheeks, forcing her to look at her. "Belle…how did you get here? I'm so sorry, if I'd known you were here I would have come for you!"

"I don't know how long I've been here!" she cried, shouted despite the fact that Aurora was so close she didn't need to shout. "I was in the Underworld with Rumple, and I had to save my baby from Hades. When they get back to Storybrooke, when my baby is safe, I'll wake up, but until then…"

"Your baby?!" Aurora gasped looking her over with different eyes. Her eyes landed on the hand she had clutched over her belly, and she watched as Aurora put two and two together. "Your baby!" she exclaimed smiling and putting her hand over her. "Your baby! You're...you're going to have a baby! Belle, that's great news!"

She shook her head, tears still streaming down her face as she recalled the time when she thought it was great. "He's already in danger! Rumple is in the Underworld trying to save him and I have to wait here, but it's so…it's so…"

Aurora nodded and quickly pulled her back into her arms. "I know!" she whispered in her ear. "I know." She wasn't sure how long she sat there, clinging to Aurora, another human being she'd never cared much for at the moment until just now because she was an anchor in the chaos she'd been experiencing. "But…" Aurora pulled away from her and "but Emma and the others got back days ago!" Aurora revealed. "Rumpelstiltskin too."

The words hit her far harder than a boulder that had fallen onto her, and she had to play them back in her mind several times just to be sure she'd heard what she'd heard.

"They're back?!" she exclaimed.

Aurora nodded. "Yes, a lot has happened, but…yes, I'm certain that I heard someone say Rumpelstiltskin had gone back with them, but with everything that's happened…they're not in town now, they're gone, New York, I think I heard someone say."

"What?!" she demanded. "What's happened?! If he's home why am I still here? Why aren't I awake yet! He was supposed to take me to my father! He can give me True Love's Kiss; he can wake me up!"

Aurora shook her head. "I don't know," she confessed looking her over with sympathetic eyes. "I don't know why you aren't awake yet...but I'm going to find out! I'll wake up. I'll go back to Storybrooke, and I'll figure out what's wrong and why it's taking so long!"

"Aurora wait! Don't-"

In a flash, Aurora had stood up as if to leave and she'd reached for her hand to stop her, too afraid to be left alone again…but something strange happened. Her hand went right through Auroras. She looked at her shaking hand and saw that she could see right through it! In fact it was becoming more and more transparent by the second! "Aurora!" she cried at the woman who was staring at her with wide disbelieving eyes. "What's happening to me? Am I waking up?!" she cried hysterically.

"No," she whispered sitting back down with her. "No, when you wake up from the curse you disappear! That's…that's what I do when I wake up! I just vanish!"

The words didn't make sense and she was choking on smoke and tears and terror as she watched her legs and torso grow dim. For the first time since she was here her eyes felt heavy, like she could lay down and sleep! "What's happening?! Am I waking up or not?!" she bawled.

"I'm going to find out, Belle! I promise I'm going to…"

The room around her suddenly went dark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, the Red Room. I must hand it to A&E on this front, even though they forgot about it, the idea of the Red Room is actually a really good one for a place the soul goes during a sleeping curse. The Red Room makes oblivion look like a gift and, in my opinion, it's the Red Room that makes the Sleeping Curse a true and proper curse. I can't think of anything worse than being stuck in one room, afraid for your life, for an unknown amount of time. The things it must do to the mind! I keep a calendar for the show and I add to it with each episode I watch so I can tell you that Belle was in the Red Room for six days. Six days of doing nothing and meeting no one but Dorothy for a brief moment, which is why, by the time Aurora gets there, she's a bit addled and...well...she's not exactly the composed, strong woman we've always seen. I don't think there is anything wrong with that, everyone has their limits and I think a little vulnerability to a character is a good thing, I just hope you'll agree and don't hate me for making Belle seem like a weakling.
> 
> As far as this chapter goes...ugh...Aurora. I really don't like her character. It's hard for me to really pinpoint why I don't like her, I just never really felt attached to her. But she is going to come up a few times in this fiction because as I said, the Red Room is going to have a lot of attention. I hope that I write her alright. Maybe one of you out there is an Aurora fan and can let me know? Peace and Happy Reading!


	3. The Landscape of a Dream

The world around her was dark, and damp, and cold. It was like living in a dream. The hallways were desolate and dark, the only sound was that of her heels on the stones as she wandered through the walls. And yet…and yet she felt as though she wasn't quite alone. Like someone was watching her just over her shoulder.

"Hello?" she called out into the dark hallway.

The only answer that came back to her was the echoing "lo, lo, lo" of her own call.

She wrapped her arms around herself, wishing she had a shawl or something to cover her bare arms against the cold. Rumpelstiltskin wasn't home. Of course, he wasn't home, how could she forget?! He was fond of leaving her utterly alone in this castle, of leaving her to the shadows for haunting. And speaking of haunting…

A low groan and whipping sound, like the wind rattling a wooden building, came from the darkness behind her. She turned to face it but was only confronted with the same blurry darkness she saw everywhere. In fact, the only pop of color anywhere so far as she could see was the odd blue tone of her blue dress.

Where should she go? What should she do?

Well…the sound of the wind blowing behind her made her shiver, she didn't want to go that way. With a shaking foot, she took timid steps toward the blackness ahead of her. This castle was like a maze, she was absolutely certain that she would never learn this place half as well as Rumple had. It would never be a home to her, and frankly, the dark walls convinced her that Rumpelstiltskin didn't even consider it his own home. Homes should be cheery and light. They should make the owner feel warm and safe, whether it is a small shack or a large castle. This made her feel none of those things. Her dungeon made her long for her bedroom back home, for her shelves with books and her vanity with her fine hairbrush. But these halls made her want nothing but a candle, just a single spark of light to show her the way and chase away the demons she felt following her.

She felt like she wandered forever in the darkness before she realized that something was changing. At first, she thought that it was simply her eyes adjusting to the darkness of the castle, but when she began to make out various shades of gray she realized that she wasn't adjusting, she was finally just seeing light!

Like moths were so often drawn to flames she quickened her step and hurried off in that direction. Finally, she saw something familiar. The foyer! The set of stairs that led downstairs to the main entrance, a set of heavy wooden doors she knew she couldn't push open. The light in this room was provided by a single, circular window just above the door. The light coming through it would have blinded her if it weren't for the heavy dust that coated it and made the sky look more like a dark ocean than the baby blue she'd once known it to be in Storybrooke. With heavy footsteps, she walked down the stairs, careful not to put her hands on anything for she'd learned that the layer of dust would make them come away black. She couldn't stand dirt or dust, it was the caretaker in her, always wanting something to do, to clean! If she had a rag and some polish she would be all too happy to fix that, but there was nothing in her hands, and she was left to wander down the stairs careful not to fall or touch anything.

The foyer was odd; it looked as it always did but…there was a haze to it she knew wasn't right. On the table sat a vase of black roses that nearly made her shudder. Did everything here always have to be so dark and dingy? Honestly, she could see the meager light coming in through the window, but she was left with the thought that light had never really penetrated this castle. There might be light around, but it was a foreigner, a stranger. Light didn't live here. Only darkness.

She couldn't be terribly surprised at that, considering the thing that owned this monstrosity. This castle was a horrible reflection of the man who occupied it. Just as her bedroom and library were reflections of herself.

Reflections…

There, across the foyer someone was staring at her. The eyes would have made her jump but they were friendly, the only friendly set of eyes she'd seen in a long time because they were her own. Across the foyer was a mirror and it was her own reflection that stared back at her. She knew this mirror, she knew that she did, but not from this place, this room. It belonged somewhere else. And…why was it so dusty? She could have sworn that she'd cleaned it before!

She took a step closer, but before she could gaze into it properly, she heard a click from behind that made her heart jump. It wasn't like the groaning and blowing she'd heard before. She knew what this sound meant.

He was home.

She turned on the dot to spy her captor coming through the big wooden doors. He looked around, shocked for a second as if he was surprised to see the room as it was before he finally laid his eyes on her and a chill crawled up her spine.

She was supposed to be cleaning. Or cooking food? She couldn't remember, but she knew that she wasn't doing what she was supposed to do and he wasn't yelling! Why was that suddenly worse? Could the beast be appeased?

"Rumpelstiltskin," she breathed quickly. "I-I didn't think you'd be back from your journey so soon."

He had been on a journey. A journey to another land and she had thought there was time but…he was looking at himself now in the mirror that she'd just gazed into. His hands and clothes, he was examining them in a very odd way, a way she nearly had examined herself in. But it only made her shake more. What was wrong with him? Why would she care? Her only job here was to wash and clean and have tea prepared not care about…

Tea!

"Uh, don't be angry, but I don't have the tea prepared," she realized suddenly. It was that time of day she was sure of it! "I-I can have some ready in no time," she stammered before hurrying away, happy she at least had the excuse to do that.

As she scurried away she braced for the repercussions of her carelessness, for him to chastise her or yell, but she heard nothing as she disappeared off into the Great Room. She closed the door behind her and let out a sigh of relief that she'd escaped unscathed. And there, sitting by the hearth a small blessing she hadn't counted on. She hurried over to the fire and found the tea set there. The water was hot and boiling, the cream was chilled, the sugar was prepared. What a wonderful coincidence. She knew that she hadn't been a complete fool! She had made tea! She couldn't remember when, but it was here, waiting for her like the answer to a prayer!

This room, however, was like something out of a nightmare. It wasn't as bad as the hallway, but it was dark and dusty and hazy. Even the fire felt cold as she stood by it and lifted the tea tray. There was no rest or recuperation here. It was one sadness after another. And this room! She could have sworn she'd dusted it! And yet the dust seemed to continuously fall from the ceiling. The blackness she felt around her only highlighted that.

But she couldn't worry about that now. The question at hand was what should she do with herself? Stay in the room with the beast and the cold fire? Or return to her damp jail cell of a kitchen? Probably she could find something better to do with her time. A third option, perhaps. Yes, that was it! After she poured the cup of tea she'd find something new to do! Being by herself was far better than-

"Oh!"

Across the way the door opened as she held a teacup and the hot pot in her hand and Rumpelstiltskin came in, green skin and all. He appeared normal but he didn't exactly look like himself. She couldn't say why. She hadn't had the tea ready, and he hadn't chastised her. He hadn't said anything about the dust or her laziness. It wasn't like him at all and she began to panic, thinking that he had something else in mind that was amusing him. Her heart was pounding and she was beginning to wish that he'd just get it over with! He could yell, she could cry and fume, and get back to work. That was better than silently waiting! Oh, how she missed home.

"Rumpelstiltskin, I-I'm so sorry. I-I've almost got the tea ready," she explained, bracing herself for his harsh words. But it wasn't his words she needed to worry about, it was his gaze. Just before she turned away, he smiled at her. Not his normal odd little grin. It was different. It flipped her belly and made her hands twitch and when she turned to pour the tea-

"Oh!"

The teacup fell from her hand and she stepped away, her body and ears anticipating the impact…

But none came. Instead, when she looked down, expecting to find shards, she found the cup crisp, clean, and whole in the palm of Rumpelstiltskin's hand. He'd caught it. Once more she prepared herself for the inevitable conflict that she was sure would follow. She was lazy and clumsy and ill-suited for this blasted job, she thought as she slammed the pot back on the tray.

"It's all right," Rumple assured her. "See? It's not even chipped. His finger skimmed along it's delicate rim as he showed her the result. She let out a sound of relief as she reached for it, to examine it herself. There was nothing wrong with it. Nothing at all!

"Thank you," she whispered peering down at it…

No. No, this was…this was wrong. She had the oddest sense staring down into that cup…it was all wrong. And his voice, his tone, even the way he was looking at her…something strange was happening. She couldn't understand what-

"I think you've done enough for one day. Why don't you take a break?" the beast suggested taking the cup from her hands. A break? Rumpelstiltskin suggest she take a break? What was happening? What was going on? She watched as he made a motion behind her and an odd little box with a large horn on it suddenly started to play music. The tune was one that she'd never heard of before, but it felt oddly familiar. And why did this room look as though the sun had just come out? Was he under a spell? Was she? Had he brought something home with him that he shouldn't? What was all this about?

"Rumpelstiltskin, what's going on?" she questioned utterly confused. "This, uh...this isn't like you." Did he not know he was under a spell?

"I have a ball to attend to later, and I'm a bit rusty. Will you help me practice?" He offered jumping around in a childish manner that was certainly a bit more like himself but…his eyes were still odd. And…was he really asking her? Or telling her? So far, she hadn't thought that dancing was one of her duties in this place. Did it matter? Her duties were whatever he told her they were.

"I...wasn't aware that I had any choices here," she commented, the words popping free from her mouth long before she'd intended them to for they were ones she knew that she should not speak in his presence ever!

But the man before her did not argue or correct her. Instead he simply muttered "You do" and offered her a hand. She looked it over skeptically, still nervous that he was about to trick her, or punish her for not having the tea ready or the house spotless. But when nothing happened she took his timidly, then placed the other in his own.

They fell into a delicate waltz that her feet remembered from her days in her father's castle. It was simple, yet elegant. He was far more graceful doing this than he had ever looked before. He always acted childlike, strutting around the castle with his ego sitting there on his shoulders spitting orders and arrogance. He giggled and jumped around, did little dances. But he'd never danced like this. One step, two steps, three steps, then four. He was a perfect partner. Hands in the right places, respectful places, his grip was strong but gentle, and his eyes…his eyes still captivated her interest. He hadn't looked at her like that when he'd gone, she was sure of it. She was sure that he hadn't looked at her like that since their wedding day! It was a look that made her stomach do acrobats. It made the entire world brighter and better somehow. In fact, she already felt the change in this room since they'd begun. The dust no longer fell from the ceiling, the windows she'd drawn the curtains from were pouring in light, the air felt lighter, less complex, and the fire was finally giving off heat, though she couldn't be sure that wasn't her cheeks blazing or his hands warming her own. But still, the most shocking change at all was him. He hadn't even changed…and yet she could see he had.

"You're doing wonderfully well," he whispered. She was doing well? He was doing well! She was certain that he was the one that requested the practice, but there was nothing to practice. They fit together perfectly. So she shouldn't have been terribly surprised that he wanted to stop. But what she was surprised at was her sadness at the pause. Was he done already? Was that her punishment? A few moments of fun before it was back to work?

"There's just... one more thing we need," he added, and with a snap of his fingers, she looked down to find that her blue dress was gone. In its place, he'd left her a yellow dress that would have been far more appropriate at her father's court. In fact, it resembled the dress she'd first arrived here in, the one she'd been wearing when the curse over Storybrooke broke and returned them home, but this one was softer. It wasn't gold so much as it was the color of butter. Even the lace on it felt more like a cloud than it did the scratchy material of the lace she'd worn before. It was flattering, highly appropriate, and a complete and utter mystery to her.

His giggled at his impressive work drew her eyes back to him, and she feared she could no longer hold in her amazement. "What...what has come over you?"

He smiled once more. "Maybe I'm tired of being a beast."

He was tired of being a beast? Of being so harsh and cruel? So dark? Was it over then? Was he truly ready to cast aside the mantle of darkness and take on one of light and goodness. Was he finally ready to allow himself to live a happy life with her and sentence himself to an eternity of lonely darkness? Hope sprang to life in her chest, a hope that she hadn't felt for so long. She wanted to believe in the things she'd just thought. She wanted desperately to believe in them again. But something inside her, a darkness that she hadn't realized had been lurking in her own heart, pulled her away even as he took another step closer and offered his hand once more.

"One more dance?"

She was too happy to refuse and took his hand with a smile and small blush. Off they went once more with a flourishing twirl.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I'm not going to go into what I suspect this is or how it all happened. Frankly, I'm a bit disappointed that this wasn't explored a little more on the show, but I can't say I was really surprised. A&E aren't really known for following through on things. But before someone says that I got it wrong because she's mentioning her library and Storybrooke, I do want to explain that no matter how it happens I'm sure this is a dream. And I wanted it to have that dream like quality that so often my own have where I am aware of things even if they don't match the dream. For example, shortly after my Grandmother died I had a dream that we were walking together on a beach when I was much younger. I remember thinking in the dream how lovely it was to have one more day with her since she passed. In the dream, she was very much alive, but I was aware that she'd died and aware of my present emotions. I'm told that's a fairly common thing in dreams, not just my own, so I tried to copy that with Belle here. The dream has its own story line, but somewhere in the back of her mind, she is somewhat aware of her previous life. I hope that makes sense!
> 
> Thank you, thank you, thank you, Taisch and SerafineSnape for leaving me some great comments and things to think about on the last chapter! I know that this fiction isn't exactly going to be a fun one (it wasn't fun to write either), but I appreciate you sticking around for it. Peace and Happy Reading!


	4. A Dance of Promises and Words

They'd been dancing quietly for…she couldn't quite put her finger on how long they'd been dancing. Not exactly. The time from this day all seemed to blend together in such an odd way. Was it just a few moments ago that she'd been lost in the dark halls upstairs? Or was that last week? She couldn't keep her time straight, she could hardly keep anything she was thinking about straight, the world around her was fuzzy and light, but all she had to do was look at him and the world was crisp and clear. No, she couldn't tell just how long they'd been dancing, but she knew that at some point it had stopped being stiff, that she'd stopped being worried and concerned that she'd step on his foot or he on her own and what was once practice had suddenly become almost fun.

It was in the silence of the dance that she was beginning to notice things that she'd never noticed before. Their closeness, for example. When they'd first started they'd been sure to keep their arms locked and stayed at an appropriate distance. But now they were closer. So close that she could feel it wasn't just his hand that was warm, but his entire body. And his eyes, those strange reptilian eyes…she felt as though they'd haunted and scared her every hour she'd been alone with him, but staring up into them as they danced she could see there was something more to them, something deeper. In fact, the longer she stared into them, the more she noticed that they sort of wavered, changing from something that reminded her of a lizard, to the gentle brown underneath that was always one of her favorite qualities. But she couldn't understand why. It was all just ver strange.

"This place is looking nicer," he whispered after what must have been another hour of dancing with nothing but music between them. It was the perfect moment for him to let her spin. The room was looking nicer. Brighter, happier somehow. It was far different than the dark, scary place she always thought it was. It was a beautiful room. Had it always been this way? Or was it just the company that made it seem beautiful and welcoming now?

"What a shame. Y-you've lived here alone for so long," she muttered settling back into his arms and preparing for their dance to continue. But it didn't go on. His arms dropped, and though he was still giving off that smile he'd had since arriving back at the castle, his eyes fell in a strange and new way. He wasn't happy; he wasn't angry. He was sad.

"I haven't always been alone," he commented in a low, almost painful tone. "There was a son," he muttered sadly walking away from her.

Her heart fell as she watched it happen. The music played on, but their moment seemed to have ended. Or was it? He wasn't leaving the room; he wasn't shutting her out or away. He wasn't even screaming at her. He'd offered the information willingly, and though she knew that she should have been taken back by the declaration, she found that she wasn't terribly surprised. In fact, she felt as though she'd known there was a child involved the entire time they'd been dancing, maybe even since he'd set foot again in this castle. No, surprise wasn't the emotion she felt, only curiosity. She wondered, would a question be too much of a big step after their dance?

"A son?" she probed as he sat down on the table facing her with that smile. She felt tension ease as she gazed into his eyes. Was it just her, or did his eyes seem to beg her to ask more? "What happened?" she dared cautiously.

There was a moment of silence when she could hear birds chirping outside, and she wondered if he would answer her questions or if he would just continue to be as dark and mysterious as she'd believed him to be until today, then-

"He left," he finally admitted. "He saw the darkness in my soul. I had a chance to change for him, but...I was too frightened to stop it."

Darkness in his soul. Was the Darkness in his soul? Was it truly? He was cursed. Cursed to be this…thing she saw before her. Could she change that? She didn't know much about magic and yet she felt strongly that all curses could be broken if only the right tool was discovered. What if the curse was removed? What would his soul look like then? What kind of man would he be then? She didn't know him well, she didn't really know him at all, but something inside told her that he could be great. He was smart, and funny, and attentive to her. He could be that all the time, not just in these rare moments. Could he choose to do that now? Could he let the curse be broken for his child?

"If, uh...if you could change now... would you?" she questioned taking a seat next to him.

He didn't move, didn't inch away to put space between them just accepted her presence there next to him almost eagerly. "For you?" he questioned as she felt his warm hand wrap around her own once more. "I would be the best man I can be."

Her thoughts came in fragments. Her heart beat rapidly against her chest as she considered what he'd said. Not for his child. He'd change for her? Did he like her? Did he love her the way that she loved him? Would he give the world the way she would for him? Could she really change him? Would he let her?

The world seemed to slow and expand, and she watched him move closer to her, and she willingly pulled him in. Kisses were wonderful, precious things. She'd had them stolen from her before, many times, with Gaston, but this kiss that he gave her was so much different. It wasn't one-sided; it was mutual and affectionate. It was powerful. There was something amazing and incredible about it, and she felt something around her, a buzzing, vibration that she hadn't realized was around her suddenly growing fainter. It was as if reality was finally creeping back in on her after, the reality of this kiss and what would come when she opened her eyes.

Opened her eyes…

She hadn't opened them, but she feared something.

A burst of anger after a beautiful moment.

A moment at night in this room but darker.

With a fire.

But it wasn't night time now.

She pulled away as the fuzzy buzzing feeling returned stronger and she opened her eyes to find daylight and a cursed Dark One.

"Wha..."

This was day. Or it wasn't. There was something too familiar about this, about his promises and words. Promises and words. Emptiness…

"We've...done this before," she muttered.

"Yes!" he answered moving closer, grabbing for her with hopefulness and desperation. Yes, they'd done it before? They had! Not just once. They'd done this dance many, many times before. It was words and promises. He'd made a promise by the well not to hurt someone and used his words to get around the promise. He'd promised to take her to a town but never had because he'd claimed it was dangerous. He'd promised she'd made him stronger but he'd used his strength in terrible, terrible ways. People were threatened and killed and…

"No. Y-years of promises."

"Wait, wait..."

Words and promises without action. Always promises, never anything positive.

"I-I-I can't do this again."

Things weren't meant to loop constantly! That wasn't repentance or trying to change; it was taking advantage of someone. Someone he loved! She was a fool!

"T-this time is different. None of this is real. This all happened a long time ago," he explained. "We fell in love. We got married. And now, Belle, you are with child. The child was in danger, so you put yourself to sleep to keep it safe. Now that danger is gone, and I need you to wake up. This...is the truth."

The truth! The truth was overwhelming and coming back to her in small bits and pieces, flashes at every single word and she realized that she'd never really been without the truth in this strange place. It had always been there. And she knew they were married and he'd betrayed her! She knew she was pregnant; they'd made a baby in a moment when she'd believed he was human and he'd withheld the truth from her. And the baby was in danger, from Hades! Because he'd sold the child and the child would probably have been worth nothing if he hadn't been the Dark One! She'd put herself to sleep to save the child from Hades! And endured that terrible room all for…for love. For the truth that was their love. It was a bitter truth. It wasn't sweet at all!

"But so is what I saw. All those broken promises..."

They were in a horrible cycle of lies and deceit and distrust. It never changed no matter how much one or the other seemed to want it to. They always came back to lies and broken promises and hurt hearts. It had to stop. They were on the hill by the well all over again. She couldn't let her heart go through it again.

"Rumple...I do love you, and I believe that you love me, but us being together...it only causes heartbreak." She'd always believed love was worth it no matter the battle. She wasn't sure she did after all this. Not as long as this darkness dwelled in him as it did. Not as long as he was content to allow it to run his life.

"But th-the baby."

"Our child will be better off waiting with me than being in debt to you."

The words were harsh on her tongue, but she found that she feared them more than anything. There was a time that she believed that he'd never hurt her, and part of her still believed that, but it was shocking and sad how often he'd hurt her in his plans not to hurt her. She no longer believed that anyone was immune to the curse he carried. And she wasn't about to let him be the one to wake her and hold that over her or her son. He should have gone to her father as she'd said. He should have-

"I was really hoping that you'd say that."

They both turned at the sound of an unfamiliar voice behind them. A man, tall and slender, holding a timer of sand walked slowly into the room. He fixed his gaze upon her as if he knew her but…she couldn't place him at all. Something about him was familiar, but not familiar enough.

"Wait. T-there's still sand left. Wait!" Rumpelstiltskin cried.

The man only ignored her husband and moved closer to her, his gaze unfailing as he set the timer aside. "I'm so sorry that I put you through all of this," he apologized with sincerity. "I just had to be sure that you wouldn't fall for his lies again."

She should have taken a step back. He'd come too close, and she was too scared to let herself ever get this close to anyone, but something about his eyes were comforting. They reminded her of her mother's eyes and her grandmothers. They even reminded her of Rumple's eyes from long ago, when things were good, and she trusted him above all else. This man's eyes, or the memories they held, were captivating and she found she couldn't look away. Or even be scared.

"Now I can wake you up," the man smiled happily.

Finally, she felt herself shift her weight in confusion "Wake me? But...but how?" Was there something this man possessed that could save her from this fate. Something that didn't require Rumple to go to her father?

"With true love's kiss, of course."

True love's kiss? That wasn't possible. "But I don't love you," she pointed out. "I-I don't even know you."

"Oh, you've known me," he smiled with a look of amusement she'd only ever seen on her husband's face. "You've known me since the day that I was conceived."

The day he was conceived? Well, that wouldn't make any sense, not unless he was…

Her face fell as her mind worked out his riddle, the kind of riddle of words the father of her child would be all too happy to use. Was he…could he possibly be…their son?

No, no that wasn't possible! She was here, and he was here, and their child was still within her, it wasn't possible for him to be taken from her yet or to be grown.

"W-wha...what's going on?" she questioned of Rumpelstiltskin. Was this a trick? Something that he'd conjured to convince her to come back to him? Something he was planning on using against her? But he didn't look victorious or even concerned, he looked just as hurt and mesmerized as he looked the man over.

"Oh, I think you know... Mother."

The illusions were fading. Rumpelstiltskin was no longer the Dark One she'd once encountered in the castle of their past, but before them wearing a black suit, Lacey would have picked out for him. The room was no longer abnormally bright or dark…it was just normal. But the vision of the boy before her held steady. He was a man, but everything inside of her screamed he was but a boy and always would be to her no matter his age. Her baby?

"You're our son," Rumple growled.

She felt tears gather in her eyes as she looked him over and traits began to become remarkably clear. Eyes like Rumple, a mouth like her own. Hair that was darker than his but lighter than her own, the perfect shade. Ears that she'd once seen on a cousin she'd had. And his cheeks…they were Bae's cheeks.

Their son.

"I will be," the man admitted as he continued to stare at her with a gaze that was just as interested as her own was. "When you sprinkled that sand onto Belle, you sprinkled it onto me, too. This isn't just Belle's dreamworld. It's mine. And I'm here to warn you...do not let him destroy us like he did his last family."

Her mind fought to work through the impossible images before her. They were in the Dreamworld. A Dreamworld that she had created or he had created? Was this a trick? It seemed like a trick. Was this really their son or a vision of her son that she'd created.

"Don't listen to him, Belle," Rumple urged. She tore her gaze away from the boy and looked at the panic he wore on his face. "He can't be our son. It's not possible." But that look suggested that he was most afraid that it was possible!

"Oh, but it is," the man replied. "And I'll prove it."

Prove it? Using an action to prove a word. That was precisely what she needed. But the proof wasn't what she thought it would be. The boy stepped up closer to her as she waited for him to show his proof. Instead, he leaned forward and pressed his lips to her forehead in a lovingly touching gesture and-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, like I said, I'm not about to even try to figure out what all this was. Will I in the next fiction...eh, maybe I'll take a stab at it. But as of this moment, I don't have any plans to explore what happened in this fiasco. Sometimes I think it's best to let sleeping dogs lie and this is one I think will not matter so much in the next fiction. Belle is awake Gideon is at large with the Black Fairy and there really should be no need to return to all this!
> 
> Big thank you to Taisch and SerafineSnape for your comments on the previous chapter. I'm glad that you all think the dream state is done well. I tried to continue that with this chapter so hopefully, you'll think that it is also well done in this chapter. A bit more complex, with everything creeping in the way that it did, but I hope that it all seems natural. You know, as natural as magic can be! Peace and Happy Reading!


	5. All or Nothing

She woke with a start in a strange room of white marble, with archways and bright sunshine, something she couldn't have conjured even if she tried. It was familiar and yet she couldn't figure out how she knew it. She was laying on a slab of marble with a thin cushion beneath it, it was uncomfortable, but her body wasn't sore beneath it, leading her to believe that she hadn't been there long. For a few seconds she let her eyes adjust to the light, after the harshness of the Red Room and the fogginess of the castle, it was a task. Then she looked around and saw Rumple hovering over her. He was the only one present. The man they'd seen was gone.

As she sat up, she quickly wrapped her hand over her stomach, the place that hadn't changed and yet she swore she could feel that it was occupied by her child. The man they'd seen was gone. Or was he?

"Belle." Rumple met her gaze as she sat there, but it wasn't his eyes she saw anymore, it was the eyes of the man who had just kissed her awake! The man who had kissed her awake with true love because she loved her son more than anything in the world, and he loved her because she was the only one in the world he knew! That made it true love! It worked because they loved each other. "The man" had told the truth! He was their son! And in the Dreamworld…

She looked around as she relived the encounter, the timekeeper he'd held the way that Rumple had spoken to him as though he knew him…the way their son had barely looked at his father and spoken to him with such disdain. Rumple had met him in that world prior to that moment. They'd spoken before, that much was obvious. But the way that he'd held a timer and Rumple had thought he controlled the dream…

Her eyes swept over the room they were in one more time, and suddenly she realized why it looked so familiar. It was a room she'd seen once in a book her Mother kept in the library. The book had been an account of a man who learned to walk dreams and used his ability to change the dreams of his enemies for his own benefit. It had always worked right up until he'd angered the God of Dreams and been brought to his temple where his ability to dream and therefore walk in anyone's dreams was removed. The man had claimed the story was true and even drew pictures of the things he saw and the places he went. This room, it was exactly like the sketch of the temple of the God of Dreams. Morpheus. They were in the temple of Morpheus. And though she didn't know who had created the dream they'd been in, her or her son or a combination of both, she realized what her son had used it for even from within her womb. She knew how Rumple knew him.

"Our son...h-he was testing me...playing the part of Morpheus to see if I'd do right by him," she exclaimed with sudden understanding. He'd wanted to see if she really would put her son above the Darkness, do anything for him. She had. She'd succeeded all because she realized she couldn't go back to Rumple! They couldn't keep doing this. Not so long as he was like this. Her dream told her everything. She did love him. She loved him so much and she was willing to give up the world for him! But she wasn't willing to give her all for only half of his heart. She wasn't willing to give her energy and love and devotion if he was going to use half of his energy to love her and the other half to do terrible gruesome things without her knowledge. It wasn't right to give her entire self for one half of another. She deserved better. Their son deserved better than a father who would only be partially devoted to him, especially when the part that was would be in the worst way.

"And like my other son... I've lost him, too," Rumple admitted slowly. His face fell as he took deep breaths and seemed to reflect on the dream just as she had. The dream they'd all had. "Even before he's born."

Her heart was hurting again. She was coming to find it was a symptom of their being together, the heartache their love caused. At least the heartache it caused so long as he was the Dark One. How could he think this curse made him a better person? How could he think that the effects of it, the price paid, would simply stop at him and wouldn't reap any damage on his family, the people he loved most? He hadn't lost his son, his son wasn't even born yet, what the boy had spoken of was all a prediction that could just as easily be broken as it could come true. So long as he didn't stop fighting against the darkness in his heart. But as long as he was the Dark One, as long as he cherished his magic over her and their son and thought he could use it to keep them safe…then she feared that prediction would come true. Again and again and again. A never ending loop.

"If you ever let true love wake you up, then maybe you wouldn't keep losing," she pointed out as tears continued to threaten her.

It was sad. She wanted to help him. She wanted to work with him to break the curse so they really could have the family they'd both dreamed about once. In fact, breaking the curse was all that she'd ever really wanted from the beginning! But nothing she'd ever tried had ever worked to get him to see that. The one time he'd been free of the curse he really hadn't been the one to cast it aside. There was never any choice involved in it. He hadn't been ready. And it was unfortunate.

This was the kind of treachery she had to protect her heart from. And now it wasn't just her heart she had to protect, it was her son's heart as well. She had to make sure that he never suffered the heartbreak she did. It was almost too much for her to bear at times.

But Rumple was unmoved by her words and pulled a wand out from his jacket pocket, the Apprentices Wand. "We can discuss this at home."

Her mind rebelled as he waved his arm and created a portal of some kind, made of swirling blue and white stars. She could only assume that it led back to Storybrooke, that was where he would consider their "home". But she'd meant what she said in the Dreamworld. They were in a vicious cycle and it had to stop, she was convinced of that now more than ever. How much she loved him didn't matter, how much he loved her didn't matter. All that mattered was what they were willing to give for their son. She had to give her everything to the boy who would demand her everything. Storybrooke may be home to both of them…but it was abundantly clear to her that beyond that they had no home, not anymore. They couldn't.

"Oh, I'll go back...but, uh, I'm not making a home with you," she informed him moving around him. "Our son gave me a warning, and I'm going to listen to it."

She had to protect him. She wouldn't let what had happened to Neal, the damage that had been inflicted on him long before he'd ever died, happen to their son. Besides, going back never worked to show him how terrible his curse was. Leaving was the only logical thing she had left to do.

With that thought and a deep breath she moved through the sparking portal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry about this chapter. It's certainly small, that's something I couldn't avoid. It didn't fit in with the last chapter, and it doesn't fit in with the next chapter, so I had to get it a chapter all it's own. But the first part of this chapter...I had to spend an abnormal amount of time fixing a mistake the writers made. Did anyone catch it? I didn't until I was writing these chapters out actually. It was the name drop. Belle says "he was playing the role of Morpheus." Plot aside, this makes no sense because neither Rumple nor Dream!Gideon mentioned he was playing the role of Morpheus. And without that name drop it makes Belle's "he's playing the role of Morpheus" comment make almost no sense. Now, it's not the first time that the writers have made a mistake like this, but usually, there is a commercial break or a switch to another scene, something I can work with to make it all make sense. This scene had none of that. I had to figure out a way to explain that comment. I'm not entirely happy with it, but I hope that it works for these purposes.
> 
> Thank you, Taisch and SerafineSnape for your comments on the last chapter. They are as always much appreciated. Once again I am sorry this chapter is so lacking, but if you've been with me long enough you know that this just happens now and then, the next chapter is nice and long for you! Peace and Happy Reading!


	6. The Last Chance

Odd how she'd never been through a portal before in her life and yet she'd been through more than she could count in just the last…the last…

How long had she been asleep? She turned around to ask, but all that met her eyes was the portal. Rumple hadn't come through yet. Or maybe never would. Behind her she saw the portal fade and when she looked around…

She was at the convent. She was in the very nursery that she'd disappeared from only this time it was dark, and the babies were no longer in sight. Probably because they had been reunited with their loved ones.

But Rumple...Rumple wasn't in the room with her. Hadn't he come through the portal? Maybe because he had not disappeared from this place but rather the lake? She didn't know where he was going to come through but…maybe that was for the better.

It must not have been terribly late, as she moved outside of the small nursery she could hear fairies talking in the hall and shuffling along the corridors. A couple of them even gawked at her when she passed them in the halls, but she didn't stop to talk. She just left the convent with little more than a word and walked back to town but to where…she honestly didn't know. At least not until she was walking along Main Street and saw the familiar sight of the Pawn Shop.

At first, she realized that it was closed because it was dark and thought she could use her keys to open it back up but…but she really didn't want to go there. To begin with, there was no point if Rumple wasn't inside and if he was…she wasn't sure there was a point to that either. Not anymore. It wasn't their shop anymore, and it hadn't been for quite some time. It was his. Pronouns always were the hardest thing to keep straight in their separations, but suddenly she found it entirely too easy. While she'd always felt a certain amount of ownership in this shop, for the moment she didn't. It was odd. They had been separated too many times to count, and she thought that she'd felt just about every emotion it was possible to feel at times like this. She'd been angry, sad, even numb. But this emotion racing through her blood now wasn't any of those feelings. It was something entirely different.

Determination.

She was sick of being stuck in this cycle. She was tired of competing for attention. She was tired of being the only one trying to make this work for the good she knew it was meant too. She was everything at the moment; sad, angry, numb, but she was more determined than ever.

She was pregnant now. She couldn't just think about herself. Living in a constant state of flux was not the healthy environment that a baby or even a child needed. They needed stability and loving and caring parents that would put them above the rest of the world. She never wanted their child to feel the heartache and alienation that she'd felt. She didn't want him to grow up to be the vision she'd seen in her dream. This time they both had a choice to make, and hers was dependent upon his. He could have his precious power, or he could have his family. Despite what he thought he could not have both. But she also knew him well enough to know that he wasn't at rock bottom yet. He wasn't at the place where he would be ready to make that decision. He needed time. To decide who he really was, who he wanted to be, and think about what they could be as a unit. And she couldn't be with him while he was doing it. What he chose now, would determine their future in nine months. And she had enough experience to know that she needed to begin to make plans for the worst, if this was truly the end that she feared it was.

And so, more determined than she'd ever been before, she knew where she needed to go, or at least start. And it wasn't here at the Pawn Shop they used to share; it was at another precious space. With barely a thought as to what she was doing she stalked off down the street and began the long walk to the pink house she used to call home but had never really belonged. She didn't think about her decision, didn't weigh options or think about opinions, she just walked, and when she arrived, she didn't even bother to check if Rumpelstiltskin was there. She simply walked up the stairs to her former bedroom, found a suitcase and began to quickly pack a few essentials. She wasn't going to completely move out tonight, just take what she would need until a time could be scheduled to come over and pick up the rest. This was just what it had to be.

"Belle!" His voice called from somewhere below. He'd finally come home, finally found her. She had no idea why he'd taken longer than she had but she was grateful for the head start the time had provided. For one moment of cowardice, she held her breath and stood absolutely still. Maybe if she was quiet, he'd think she'd gone, and he'd leave the house looking for her. She could sneak away then. She wouldn't have to see him, maybe not for a long time. The problem was that act would be one of cowardice. She didn't fear him. Only his decisions. But then the moment passed, and she realized that would be far too cruel. She couldn't expect him to read her mind and know what she was thinking.

"I'm upstairs!" she called over her shoulder as she went back to packing. Her voice cracked, and she wiped her cheek as she heard his footsteps on the stairs. This was what it had to be.

"I was looking all over the place for where you-oh Belle!" he exclaimed with frustration when he arrived in the bedroom and saw her suitcase already half full on the bed. "You don't have to do this! You don't have to leave!"

"Yes, I do, Rumple," she argued back, wondering when every conversation they had turned into fighting. "I can't stay here. We can't be together."

"Belle, please, don't do this," he begged as she went back into the closet for another dress. The lights were off, and she couldn't even see what she was packing, but she preferred it that way. She didn't want to see the details of his face, and she certainly didn't want him to see the details of her own. He might see the tears leaking from her eyes if he did. "Belle, Sweetheart, this isn't-"

"Don't touch that!" she yelled coming out of the closet and finding him removing the clothes from the suitcase as if to put them back. She would like to believe that he was trying to unpack for her, but her first thought had been one of distrust. She didn't want him to put a tracking spell, or anything to find her, while her back was turned.

He did back away from the suitcase, but she was too paranoid to believe that he hadn't done anything and began to repack the bag, looking for anything that didn't look right; a difficult task in such low light.

"Please don't do this," he continued to beg as she packed. "Don't leave the house! I'll stay in the next room!"

She shook her head. He still wasn't getting it. "I can't be here anymore." At least not while she was so sure she couldn't trust him or his magic, she couldn't risk the harm to her soul and potentially her child.

"We can talk about this! We can-"

"What?! Change?!" she finally shrieked turning on her heel, tired of hearing this same argument, knowing where it was going and where it wasn't going all at the same time. Pretty words and promises followed by non-existent actions. Every step he'd taken he'd broken her trust. Words were not going to get it back. "You've already made it clear that you don't want to change, Rumple. And I'm not willing to sacrifice what I believe in so that you can-" She choked on the words that came next. Lie. Cheat. Steal. Trick. Murder. She couldn't stand by and watch him do that. "I love you. I know that you love me, but I can't think of a time when you and I being together has ever resulted in something good."

"When we were married-"

"Yes, we were happy. But only because you lied to me the entire time!" she spat back. He seemed to forget that all the time. He'd tried to take her away and leave the town for dead! They hadn't been happy; she'd been blissfully ignorant and naive. "If I'd known what was going on behind my back-"

"We made a child together!" he argued. "We did that together."

"And we just spent a week trying to free him from Hades because you had already sold him! And we couldn't even work together for our child Rumple!" She was crying as she replayed that week over and over in her head. She'd wanted one thing. He'd wanted another. Trying to keep him from doing something truly awful had been like babysitting a child with an attitude of a teenager. She couldn't be responsible for her child and his father. She couldn't. She needed a partner in this, not a ward.

"I want us to be happy, Rumple," she swallowed as she found his eyes in the dark. "It's all I've ever wanted. I want us to be happy together, and when I came back here I thought that was a possibility but now-"

"Why can't it be? Why can't we be happy together?"

"Because I'm not your priority! And neither is the baby!" she screamed, tired of making this point and feeling guilty that she had to in the first place.

"My power ensures that you and the baby will have a good life. A safe life!"

"A half-life!" she argued. "Rumple, when I first got here I knew what the town said about me because of you, because of your magic, I endured it because I believed that you wanted to change, that you wanted to fight the darkness inside of you and it came at no one's expense but my own. But now…do you really want that life for our child. For children to be afraid to play with him because they'll anger you? For him to sit alone in this castle of a house safe, but without friends?!"

"It won't be like that."

She shook her head and smiled at the irony of such a sad remark. "It will. I lived with Neal for months, Rumple. I listened to his stories about growing up, his memories both good and bad. Trust me; it will happen. And the fact that someone so clearly could lay out your choices, telling you that you can have your family or your power and your first answer isn't your family but instead an argument for why you should hold on to both?!" That was the most disturbing thing of all. The most damning. It could all go away. She didn't know how he had it again, but she knew that the Dark Curse was not as terrible and undefeatable as it had once seemed. Merlin had said someone might be able to use it for good someday. The fact that he wasn't even willing to try in order to keep his family close by spoke volumes.

"I see you, Rumpelstiltskin. I see you for what you are, but I also see you for what you could be, and it breaks my heart that you are too cowardly to follow after that dream that I have for our family. But as long as you are this way, as long as you continue to make magic and power the priority of your life then…you've made your choice. And it isn't me and it isn't your son. So…I've made my choice too. And I choose to do what is best for this child! I only hope someday you will choose to do the same."

She stood her ground and braced for the words that she was sure would come next. But there weren't any. He only stood before her, open mouthed. It was dark, but the moon was out, and the only response she saw was a slight wet moisture gathering in his own eyes. That was good. For all they'd shared, he should feel something. It was when he ceased to feel that she would really and truly worry.

With a sniffle, she turned back to her bag. It was only half packed, but she didn't have the energy to do anymore. She couldn't risk this determination she felt fleeing and leaving her exposed to making a poor choice for her and her son. This was how it had to be. "That'll do for a few nights," she muttered closing the suitcase.

"Belle-"

"I'll return for the rest when I know where I'll be staying."

"Belle, please," he begged softly, stopping her just before she could leave. "Why can't we just try this?"

She let out a snort of hopelessness. She'd just explained all of that. He really couldn't understand? Still? "We have been trying this, Rumple," she explained once more as blatantly as she could. "I've tried and done everything I can think of, everything that I can do and still live with myself. Nothing seems to work. When you are willing to try something different, something that's not 'this', then maybe things can be different, but until then…I'm sorry."

He didn't reply, just stood there and watched her, or maybe looked through her. She felt an urge to reach up and kiss him on the cheek, give him some kind of promise that he did hold her love, just not her trust, but she thought better of it. Now wasn't the time. It would be too cruel. So instead she moved around the statue of her husband, down the stairs, out the door and finally down the street toward Main Street. She stopped crying. A hand pressed to her belly was really all she needed to force her to keep going.

But the action of walking down the street this way reminded her of years ago, when the curse on Storybrooke was first lifted, and they had lived in relative happiness for the first time. That had been a lie too. He'd told her to stay away from town, that it was dangerous and he'd take her when it was safer. He'd left her believing that, alone in his house, every day until she'd gotten irritated with his lies and secrecy and ran away to town on her own to discover the truth for herself. Somewhere, in the back of her mind, walking away now reminded her of that. She was firm in her decision, she knew things had to change, but she couldn't help but have a small flicker of hope that this would have the same effect on him that it had then. And in the back of her mind three frail, weak words echoed through her heart.

"Come after me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The progression of 6A is not interesting. It's mostly sad. It goes from good to bad, bad to sad, then sad to bad, and bad to worse. This is definitely one of the sad phases. I wrote it for a number of reasons personal and logistical. I suppose logistically just because of the clothes because I swear A&E don't think things through anymore and only focus on making things "look good". She had to get her clothes somewhere and I liked the fact that she was getting them in the dark because for a lot of these episodes Belle's wardrobe was just not her normal style. I mean, I guess it worked, but it wasn't what I'm so accustomed to her wearing. (And don't worry, because I know what you are thinking, I already have a plan for the pants.) But personally...I suppose that the ending in the portal just wasn't satisfying enough for me, so I wanted to write and rewrite a little bit so that some scenes, later on, make a lot more sense. I suppose you'll have to wait for a few more chapters to see what I mean.
> 
> Thank you, Taisch and SerafineSnape for your comments! Not an easy fiction to get through trust me. But I'm finding it's not hurting as much just because of 6B. In my readings of this fiction, I find myself doing a lot of "it's almost over, just hang in there, it's almost over." Of course, it doesn't hurt that I wrote the last of the fighting chapters for them yesterday. That's a freeing feeling, knowing that there is a lot of good that I get to write now. I'm relieved. But in this fiction, from here on out it's time for some familiar faces and minor characters to take some lead roles. Honestly, if I had to pick the major players in this fiction (other than Belle), it'll be Rapunzel, Flynn, and Aurora. Regina, the Charmings, Zelena, you already know they will show up, and you already know that at a certain point Rumple becomes the villain (A&E's dumb choice, not mine!). But I love the relationship between Rapunzel and Belle. We explored it a bit in the last fiction, and it seemed pretty well received, well, it's back. And I hope you'll enjoy the places that I take it as I work to make this fiction make sense (while happily pointing out mistakes A&E made along the way)! Peace and Happy Reading!


	7. While She Was Sleeping

She had nowhere to go after she left Rumpelstiltskin's home and she didn't exactly have many options. It wasn't very late, but when she walked by Granny's, she saw that it was crowded and she didn't have the strength or the desire to wade through that mess, not tonight. She could have probably gone to the monastery to seek shelter, but it was a long walk and instead, the library had loomed and the warm lights coming from upstairs beckoned her.

It was the best option. She knew that it was the moment Rapunzel opened the apartment door, sighed in relief, and stepped forward to embrace her. Of course, Flynn was there, standing in the doorway behind her. He offered to go at the sight of her, but she insisted that he stay. She really was tired of interrupting their date nights and having him disappear when she arrived somewhere. In the end, that insistence was good too. Her stomach growled, and Flynn took to the kitchen, cooking her up a meal of grilled chicken, pasta, and vegetables while she and Rapunzel talked in the living room about where she'd been and what had happened.

She told Rapunzel the entire story. Some of it was not new to her, other bits were clearly not. She watched as Rapunzel went to the small and only closet in the apartment and retrieved-

"My bag!" she exclaimed looking it over. It was the one that she'd taken with her to the convent the day that she'd gone to the Underworld. She'd set it down in the chair and hadn't thought much of it since then, not even when she returned to Storybrooke. "But...how did you get it?" she questioned opening it up and looking through it. Everything was there. Remarkable! She would have thought with the way the convent had shaken that day half its contents would have been on the floor, and the other half would have still been in the Underworld.

"I worried when you didn't come back and called the convent," Rapunzel explained. "They wouldn't let me talk to anyone, and a few minutes later Mother Superior showed up at the library. She had your bag; I guess…she didn't' think I'd believe her if she didn't have it? She told me what happened."

She watched as Rapunzel took her seat once more and seemed to swallow back her emotion. Was she crying? "I waited every day for you to come back, for some sign that you were alright! When the others returned without you I began to fear the worst, but Mary Margaret told me not to worry, that you were in town. I didn't believe it! I thought maybe you were dead and just no one could remember! Why would everyone else come home but you! Even Rumpelstiltskin!"

So, he had been here? He'd come home before he'd taken her to the Temple of Morpheus. How on earth had he kept her presence so under wraps? Well, her sleeping form and everyone's fear of him wouldn't exactly have made it difficult.

She explained to Rapunzel everything that she could about her missing time. Everything. She told her about Zelena, what the cyclone she'd dealt with the night before she left truly meant. She told her what it was like when she realized where she was, and she told her about going to the library. Then she told her the best and worst part of her tale, easily the most complex.

"Pregnant?!" she blanched. There was not a sound in the entire apartment as the news settled in. She understood the shock. It was still hard for her to believe that one little misstep could result in something so grand as this. Frankly, she was still getting used to the idea of how happy she was to be pregnant and expecting a child. She couldn't expect others to-

The sound of the garbage disposal in the next room made both of them jump. Flynn was apparently putting half her dinner down the kitchen sink. "Babe? Babe!" The disposal kicked off the moment that she finally got his attention and he shrugged.

"I'm going to have to start over. The pasta had alcohol in it."

Rapunzel only shook her head. "Titi says it cooks out."

"Titi?" she questioned.

"My cousin, the one that cooks," she explained still looking at Flynn.

"Really? You sure, she's not wrong? You really want to take that chance?!" he didn't wait for an answer, just got right back to work.

"Leave him," Rapunzel commented turning back to her and leaning forward. "Babies make him nervous. He was supposed to be watching his sister when the witch took her away."

"I heard that!" Flynn shouted from the kitchen. He sounded light-hearted enough about it, but the look on Rapunzel's face was anything but light-hearted. She didn't know Flynn's entire story, just what she heard from Rapunzel. She knew that he had a sister who was still in school somewhat independent. Obviously, she had to be. Otherwise, Flynn wouldn't be able to spend the occasional night at the library with Rapunzel and most of his days as well. She knew of his sister; she knew that while she'd been in Camelot, it was his sister that brought Rapunzel and Flynn together. The girl had been held captive by a witch of some kind and Flynn had tried to rescue her by stealing one of her spell books in her back room. Rapunzel caught him, the two worked together, they'd been together ever since, and Flynn's sister had been living with him. But she'd never met the girl. And somehow she always knew not to press the subject. Possibly because of that?

She knew not to press the subject and so she didn't. She left that piece of information on the table and continued with her own tale. While Flynn cooked, she and Rapunzel spent the rest of the night filling each other in on what they knew. As it turned out telling the story was something they had to work together on, for neither of them had a full tale, but when they took what they both knew and put it together, they were able to figure the majority of it out.

She told Rapunzel about the deal Rumple made with Hades, that he was still the Dark One and about their futile attempts to save their child in the Underworld. Rapunzel kept silent, listening and thinking, just as she always did, as she told her the conclusion of the story that as she knew it. She had to hand it to the girl; she was a rock. No comments, good or bad, came from her mouth as she told her about her decision to enlist Hades true love to try and save her baby. And she didn't bat an eye at the mention of the sleeping curse that would preserve her for…

At the thought of time, she'd looked around the apartment then and found a calendar. It was difficult to figure the days out since she never slept while she was in the Underworld, but she eventually figured that she'd been there about three days before she'd put herself under the curse. So according to the calendar, so long as the "day-by-day" she kept was correct, then-

"A week!" she exclaimed. "I was in that room for a week?! It felt like an eternity."

Rapunzel nodded. "You were gone for nine days. Ten if you count the day you disappeared. Everyone came back four days ago. That's why I panicked when I still hadn't heard from you, especially with everything that happened once everyone was back!"

Flynn brought her food while Rapunzel told her about what happened to the others once they had returned. She told her about Hades and how he followed them back to Storybrooke, how he caused trouble and chaos before Zelena had ultimately killed him with some kind of crystal in order to save Regina. She also told her about how that crystal went missing after Hades death, that Killian had turned up alive and well, a gift of the gods, in Storybrooke after his defeat, with very little explanation to the people. It was not long after, that Regina and Emma had taken a trip to New York to get the crystal back from Henry when they realized he and his friend Violet had taken it with the intention of destroying all magic.

There was something missing to the tale, something she didn't understand. She couldn't quite fathom why Henry would suddenly do such a thing! He seemed to love magic! She couldn't understand why he'd want to take it away or why the turn around as so quick. She listened intently as she ate, at first just hoping to hear what it was that had caused this change in Henry, but then in utter disbelief of what had been started and done all in her name.

Rapunzel didn't know it, not at the time, but now that she knew that Belle had been under a sleeping curse she was able to put it all back together. Rumple had tried to use the crystal, in the clocktower, as a matter of fact, to perform some kind of great magic. She was willing to bet that it was to wake her up. He'd tried to use the crystal, but Henry had stolen it, taken it beyond Storybrooke, and Emma and Regina had followed after him, trying to save magic, while Rumple had followed, once again for reasons Rapunzel hadn't understood at the time, but now knew were far more menacing.

She just couldn't understand why he hadn't gone to her father! She couldn't understand why he felt the need to control everything! Was he trying to be her Savior? Force her to owe him her life and that of their child?

"Oh!" Rapunzel finally exclaimed, "I haven't even told you about the Land of Untold Stories yet!" And so she spoke on, telling her about how they had finally convinced Zelena to open a portal and send the people from Camelot back home. She was saddened to think that Merida was gone and that she didn't get the opportunity to say good-bye, but the way Rapunzel told her story, there was hardly time to feel anything other than shock. For not long after the people from Camelot disappeared did the portal backfire and carry Snow White, David, Killian, and Zelena through.

There were large chunks of the story missing. Rapunzel was not really in the main circle, she relied mostly on Granny and Archie for her information, and according to her a lot of what had happened when they weren't there only just began to resolve itself that day. All she really knew, in the end, was that Regina and Emma had gone to New York alone, but Henry, Snow, David, Zelena, and Killian had come back with them. Rumple had not returned. Not long after the town had been invaded by a man named Mr. Hyde and he'd brought with him his fair share of people from the Land of Untold Stories.

Their night concluded only when Rapunzel couldn't tell the tale without yawning every two minutes and Flynn insisted that though there was more to tell it could wait until morning.

She went to bed, just like the others, camping out on the couch in the living room, and listing the questions she had in her head. She wanted to know why Henry had done what he'd done? How the people from the Land of Untold Stories got here? She wanted to know who Hyde was and what he wanted? What had happened in the Land of Untold Stories? How had they gotten home and Rumple vanished?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew! What a long and convoluted story. Honestly, I cannot tell you how difficult this chapter was to write. So much stuff happened at the end of season five while Belle was asleep and wanted her to learn most of it, she needs to know most of it, but how to tell her was difficult and keeping it all straight...I think I watched those last episodes two or three times a piece to figure out what I could put in and what I couldn't, which details Rapunzel would know and which ones she wouldn't know. That being said, I know that the entire tale isn't here in this chapter and I know that there is one very big detail to the story that Rapunzel does know and is missing. Rest assured, I haven't forgotten anything and Belle will learn the entire tale. There is more coming in the next chapter, and even more will be revealed in the chapters that follow. I take great pride in the fact that I very rarely leave anything out. A&E forget, I fix it.
> 
> Big thank yous to Taisch and SerafineSnape for commenting. I've seen some very interesting opinions on the next season coming around lately. Personally, not really looking forward to it. I think the ending of season six would have been perfect, and frankly knowing that it's still going on kinda ruined it for me. That being said, will I watch season seven when it comes out? The jury's still out for me. Friday Night isn't the best night for me to set aside time to watch TV, I'm usually busy doing other things. I do think I'll end up seeing season 7, but the question is when and how. Chances are that I'll watch the first episode, like many people, and then just wait until it's over to watch all of it at one time. "Rip the band-aid off" kind of thing, ya' know? Alas, we shall see! Peace and Happy Reading!


	8. The Story's Missing Chapter

She fought her way across the room, playing that odd game of hopscotch, always moving in an effort to avoid the fire that sprang up through the floor. She was sure her body now matched the room. The heat must have turned her face red by now. Her hands were scarred and blistered from holding them up to defend against the fire. She dared not think that she was getting good at this, that she might, if only for the slightest of seconds, be getting used to this hell she'd been sentenced to. If she did she was sure that the timing would change, that something would happen and the burns would be worse, or the heat more intense, or-

The ceiling! She looked up when she heard an odd sound from above her, one that didn't belong to the flames. Ash was pouring down as if the fire had just found a patch of oxygen and an explosion had occurred. She moved out of the way quickly, but it threw off the meticulous pattern she had designed, the one she depended on to avoid the fire. She hurried away, trying to get her footing and get back on track! She had to run from the fire! She had to protect her child!

"Belle!" There across the room was a shadow. The outline of a woman that she recognized.

"Aurora!" she cried before taking off, fighting flames to get to the other side.

"Belle!"

"Aurora!"

"Belle!"

She opened her eyes and gasped as she realized the voice didn't belong to her, but rather to Rapunzel. The room around her wasn't dark or red. It was bright, bathed in the light of early morning and tones of blue and white. She recognized it instantly as her former apartment, and she calmed at the memories that came back to her from yesterday, even last night. But all the questions vanished from her mind the moment she slept and the Red Room came back into focus. Now she was awake, Rapunzel stared down at her, and if she craned her head, over the arm of the couch, she could see Flynn standing there behind her. She'd kicked the blankets off of her at some point in the night and quickly reached back down at her feet toward them so she could cover herself once more. Not that she was indecent, it was just an old habit.

"What's wrong?" she questioned as she struggled to sit up.

"I should ask you," Rapunzel muttered giving her some room. "You were screaming."

"Screaming?"

"Yes, in your sleep! What was wrong?"

What was wrong? What was wrong was she'd just spent more time than she cared for in a red room of fire and come back to find her life completely and utterly turned upside-down! What wasn't wrong?!

"It was…it must have just been a nightmare," she excused.

"Pretty intense for a nightmare."

She nodded, but didn't respond to the unsaid demand for more information. She looked around the room to find her bag and could tell from the light that it was still quite early in the morning. She hadn't even changed since last night, just slept in the clothes that she'd apparently been wearing all week. The living room was a mess, the couch was uncomfortable, the eyes of Rapunzel and Flynn were kind but really the last thing she wanted at a time like this. She was going to have a baby. And she was sleeping on her friend's couch having nightmares, disturbing them because there wasn't even a door on the bedroom.

She groaned as she dropped her head into her hands. "This isn't going to work."

"Belle, what isn't going to work?" Rapunzel questioned as she sat down next to her and tried to pull her hands away.

"This!" she exclaimed looking around the apartment. She was so tired. How could she sleep for a week and still be so tired?! "This is…wonderful, and you are wonderful, and so is Flynn, but…this apartment can barely fit two people, let alone three. I can't stay here."

"You really want to talk about this now?!" Flynn blanched behind her.

"If not now, then when?" she questioned honestly.

Flynn shrugged and looked into the kitchen before moving to the stove. "I would think after breakfast. Pancakes?"

"Ignore him," Rapunzel whispered. "You are welcome to stay here as long as you want. Flynn doesn't stay every night."

"But you deserve your privacy," she argued. "And I'm about to have a baby! I need to be on my own, find some kind of stable arrangement until I can get my life together, as we planned before…"

She'd nearly forgotten, but before she'd gone to New York, just after she'd left Rumple at the well, Rapunzel had vowed to help her start a new life in Storybrooke, to find a new apartment, get a few hobbies…it had all sounded lovely, but she was pregnant now. There was a ticking clock of inevitability just below her belly button, and this wasn't about her anymore. Her son needed structure and stability. Not a couch and suitcase.

"Okay well…Flynn and I have been talking about moving in together, maybe we find a place, and you can have-"

"No!"

"That's not the answer!"

She was stopped by both her and Flynn, who also seemed to understand that was not the way this was supposed to go and certainly not a reason to finally move in together. The glare Rapunzel gave him suggested she was not as understanding as she was thought.

"I meant what I said before," she insisted, drawing Rapunzel's eyes off of Flynn and back to her. "This apartment is yours for as long as you need it. I'm the one who needs to find a place, not you."

Rapunzel let out a small nod, but didn't seem to have much enthusiasm or confidence in her plan. "So…to Granny's again?" Rapunzel questioned.

She could hear the questioning in Rapunzel's voice, the tone that suggested she thought it was ludicrous but it wasn't to her. She hated to admit it, but yes. It certainly sounded like she was off to Granny's to stay once more. That wasn't bad, she would be comfortable there, it was close to the library, and Rapunzel could have her privacy, but still, it was also not the place for a baby to be born.

"For a start…after that…" After that, she didn't know what to do. If she didn't have Rumple…her options were really very limited, but she was certain she did have options. A few.

"Hey," Rapunzel whispered. "It's a place to start; we'll help you, you're going to be fine." She nodded as Rapunzel gave a tug on her hand and suggested they go eat breakfast.

Yes! Yes, there were options for her. Lily lived in an apartment after all. Maybe they had a vacancy there? It wasn't exactly her idea of "home sweet home". It was a little too run down and cold for her standards, but it was a place to stay. Or even better...

The smell of bacon sparked a memory she'd nearly forgotten about of another time she'd eaten breakfast in the home of a friend. Will had lived in an apartment, an apartment she was certain was vacant now because he was gone, or at least she believed he was, back to Wonderland! Of course, there were rules; she couldn't just break in and live there but…that was what friends were for!

"You know," she commented as she sat down at the island to watch Flynn cook, "Will had an apartment before he left this world and it was really nice. He had to leave it to someone. Maybe I should talk to Regina and Robin Hood, see if they know where the keys are or who I could talk to about it. I'm sure they know something or someone who could arrange it."

Suddenly the apartment got much quieter than it should have for only three of them. The noise of sizzling and cooking eggs seemed to heighten as the normal sound of living evaporated and she felt a chill in the air. It wasn't from the air conditioning. It was from the look Rapunzel and Flynn were giving each other at the moment. Their eyes were wide, the bacon was burning, and they were having a conversation without words at all. That was never a good sign.

"What?" she finally questioned, looking between them. They flinched at her words, but neither really looked at her, just dared the other to speak first, and she felt her heart automatically jump into her throat. This wasn't just a bad sign; something had happened. She could feel it! Something very bad had happened! "You are scaring me, what is wrong?"

Finally, Flynn took a deep breath and turned back to the stove as Rapunzel sighed and looked her over sadly. "I might have left something important out last night when I was telling you what happened. It's just that I knew you were close and it was late, and after all you'd been through I didn't want to upset you-"

"Upset me? Wait, what…what happened? What are you talking about?"

Rapunzel glanced at Flynn, but his back was still to her as he worked the stove and Rapunzel inched closer and took her hand in her own. "It's about Robin Hood and what happened when he got back from the Underworld."

Her heart turned over as she thought of the baby he'd been guarding in the field. Zelena and Hades had been here, and Rapunzel hadn't mentioned the girl…she wasn't-

"His daughter is fine, isn't she?! Hades didn't hurt her? He didn't touch her, did he?!"

"No!" Rapunzel quickly inserted. "No, she's just fine, living with Zelena, I think I heard someone say that she'd decided to name her Robin…after her father."

Her body was tingling, adrenaline already rushing through her system as she waited for the news she was slowly beginning to put together. Why was the baby with her mother after Robin had tried to protect her from that very person? Why had her mother named her after Robin was so insistent he wait? Why after everything that had happened would Zelena be kind enough to name her after her father? Why had Zelena killed Hades? Why had Henry suddenly taken to despising magic?

"What happened?" she questioned with tears in her eyes already. She had a bad feeling she already knew what had happened and feared the words that would come next but she knew that she needed to know, to hear it from Rapunzel. "Is Robin okay?"

Rapunzel swallowed hard, and she could see the moisture gathering in the rims of her eyes as well as she licked her lips and took a breath. "Robin Hood is dead."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I guess in the end, this chapter has a couple of purposes. I always wanted for Belle to stay overnight and Rapunzel wake her up the next day because once again what A&E have forgotten (or ignored) I cannot. I do believe that it wasn't just the Red Room, but that a big part of season two revolved around the fact that people have been under the sleeping curse revisit the room in their sleep for some time afterward. That is going to be a major plot point for this fiction, which will kind of give you the direction of where Aurora will come back into the story, but alas, we're going to have to wait for another few chapters for that. And then there is the obvious second reason that this chapter was necessary. I wanted to be delicate with how the news of Robin's death hit her. Many of you correctly guessed that was what Rapunzel left out of the tale and it was just because I wanted it to come at the proper time and place. The next morning conversations seemed to be a good time and place, much better than the night before when her head was already spinning from just about everything. Throwing Robin's death in there too would have been too overwhelming in my opinion.
> 
> Thank you, SerafineSnape for your comments! I'm so glad that there is a love of these Rapunzel/Belle chapters because there are a ton of them in this fiction. I seriously can't even tell you how happy I was the Rapunzel fit so easily into this series. Those kind of chapters are really WAY down the road for us right now, but I hope that when we get there, you will have the same feelings about them! I hope that to you Rapunzel's presence enhances the storyline. Peace and Happy Reading!


	9. Working Through Options

Robin Hood was dead.

The news hit her hard.

In her wildest imagination, she had never been able to conjure up a thought that Robin Hood could die. Of course, she knew it was a possibility, he was only human after all, but the fact that it would happen so soon, so suddenly…she hadn't expected that. In the moments that followed, as Rapunzel filled in the blank pages of the story talking about crystals and sacrifice and funerals, her mind wandered. The words became a blur and she found herself trying to remember the last moment that she'd had with him. She tried to remember the last time that she had seen him, looking for some kind of hint, some great final words that might comfort her or make her look back and think it was obvious that was the last time they were to speak. But she failed. All that she found in her head was an image. Robin leaving them the night she'd arrived to take his daughter, Little Robin, into the forest for her own protection. He'd said something to her, she remembered that well enough…but the words were gone. Had they been significant? Silly? Thankful? She tried to prompt them, hoping it would spark the memory. But she heard nothing. Had she known it was going to be the last time she saw him she would have memorized those words within an inch of her life. Instead they were gone, just as he was. Gone forever.

Robin Hood was her friend. Perhaps never no the level that Rapunzel or Neal had been her friend, but she always felt that he was far more of a friend than anyone else she'd been in the Underworld with. He'd been instant friends with Neal when they were in the forest and therefore friends with her. He'd helped her do research as she tried to figure out the Wicked Witch's plans. He'd always been there whenever she needed him, ready to help, ready to serve.

If only people came with warning labels; if there could be hints that people much beloved were going to perish and it was the last time that she'd ever see them…but they didn't. The only time she'd ever had an inkling someone she loved would die and waited for death was when her grandmother had perished, but of course, she'd been quite old, and there was plenty of time. Young men and women, people like Robin Hood, Neal, even her mother…it just wasn't right that they didn't get to live out the rest of their lives. It wasn't fair to those around them.

Poor Regina!

Those were words that she'd never thought she'd think or even mean, but she knew the pain of losing someone truly loved! She could remember the pain she'd carried with her after Rumple had died before her eyes and then later the pain she'd felt in her heart after he'd gone away and she'd learned later that his heart stopped. True love was a magic that they had only scratched the surface of, but she knew that the loss of the other half cut deep! She felt sorry for the Queen and also felt a level of fear she hadn't felt since the days in the castle, just after Rumple had died and Emma had taken Henry. An unstable Queen was a dangerous Queen. Without someone to tether her, like Henry or even-

Her heart ached again as she thought of another little face, not little Robin, though suddenly why she was with Zelena and why she'd been named as she had made perfect sense. "What about Roland? What happened to him? Does Regina have him? Or John, or…not Zelena."

"Oh, goodness no!" Rapunzel refuted quickly, almost too happily considering the news that she'd dropped onto her. "He's with John and…they're gone too. They went through the same portal that the people from Camelot and Merida took to get home. They're back in the Enchanted Forest."

In her heart of hearts, truly she wished that the information offered could be some sort of consolation prize. The Merry Men, the people of Camelot, Merida even had all gone back home. They were where they wanted to be, where they felt absolutely safe! She should feel some sense of happiness or even relief! But the news of Robin had deadened nearly everything that she felt inside of her. Her and Rumple, Robin and Regina, even Zelena and Hades…she felt drawn back to that question she'd asked herself a million times before. How much of a blessing was True Love? From where she stood she saw a lot more casualties, than survivors.

After breakfast, Flynn left for the day and she showered, letting the news sink in just as the warm water pounded away at her body and forced her to feel once more. It was then that she came back to reality. People had died, relationships were broken, but she was still alive. Her child was still alive and as much as it hurt to go on knowing Robin was dead, stopping would not help her son.

And so, after she stepped out of the shower and was dry again, she packed her stuff once more. Rapunzel fought her the entire time, telling her that she didn't have to leave that there was space. But there was nothing to be done. Her mind was made up and truthfully, she thought that Rapunzel was kind for offering, but even she had to know there was no space. This wasn't even a one bedroom apartment! No door on the bedroom meant that it was a loft at best with carefully placed walls. There wasn't enough room for Rapunzel and her and occasionally Flynn. There wasn't enough room for Rapunzel and Flynn! And besides, it wasn't just the apartment space that was the problem. Out the window, across the street, the pawn shop stared her down. This street just wasn't big enough for the two of them.

"Thank you for your offers, but I'll be fine. I'll ask Granny for a room for a couple of nights and from there…I'll find something. There are other apartments in this town."

"Apartments that you can get on your salary?" Rapunzel questioned skeptically.

She opened her mouth to respond but couldn't think of any logic there quickly enough. In theory, she still had access to all the wealth of the great Rumpelstiltskin, but she didn't want it. She didn't want to be any further in debt to him that she already was. "I'll think of something," she settled on. "Friends in this town I may be lacking, but I do have some good contacts, and they have good contacts of their own…I'll be fine. And I don't want you to think I'm giving up this library, not for a second. I'll be back, I just…I can't stay here for now."

Rapunzel nodded and reached out to hug her. "Call me when you find somewhere to spend the night," she whispered in her ear. "For real this time!" she exclaimed suddenly pulling away from her. "This isn't like last time, if I haven't heard from you by tonight, I'm coming to look for you and if I find you sleeping under a bridge with a troll or something you'll be in big trouble for not coming back here! You're family, we're family; we've got to watch out for one another."

At first, she'd wanted to chuckle at Rapunzel's words, but when she looked up and saw the seriousness on her face, she had to fight to hold in her emotions. She knew that she and Rapunzel were friends, in some ways she counted Rapunzel as one of her only friends but…family? It would be nice to feel as though she had a family again. Even an unconventional one. The fact that Rapunzel felt that about her, felt so strongly that she had to declare it…it was touching. But was it too soon?

She didn't know what to say to her after that. So instead she gathered her case, put a smile on her face, and squared her shoulders. "Wait for my call," she promised before leaving the flat behind.

She locked the door on the way out of the library, telling herself that Rapunzel would unlock it when she was ready for it to be open, but she couldn't help but feel a little terrified by the action. She would come back; it was still her library, wasn't it? Yes, Rumple had given it to her but…hadn't she proved by now that she was worthy to possess it? To still be the town librarian? Even if she hardly spent any time there?

That was about to change. She would make sure of it. No matter where she ended up that was always going to be her library! She had months before she was certain the pregnancy would take its toll on her body, until then she would be sure to find a lodging that assured her she could continue to work there. And of course, she wanted their child to experience all the joys the library had to offer.

Things would be different, certainly, but that didn't mean that different was bad. Different was flexible. It left room for change and growth and...men with funny hats?!

That was the first thing she stumbled upon once she finally got inside Granny's diner. The shades had been drawn so that she was unable to see in, but from the outside, she'd been able to make out shadows and bodies inside, and of course, by the time she arrived, it was nearly lunch time. It was crowded. But upon entering she didn't expect to see what she saw!

"Hey, does... does anyone know-"

This was not the normal crowd at Granny's, not like she expected. Emma was there for sure, but she also saw men in funny hats and women in dresses that even Lacey couldn't identify from this world or their own. It was a smorgasbord of inspiration for Lacey, but a state of utter bewilderment for her. Though apparently, that wasn't the sight that caught everyone in the diner by surprise. That was her.

"Belle!" Emma gasped when she turned to find her standing there. Her eyes were wide as she looked her over. "You're here, and you're awake."

Ah, yes, she hadn't been aware how many people knew that she'd been under the curse. Rapunzel hadn't, but if Zelena was really working with the others, then there was no doubt that she'd probably told them at least what had happened. And Mary Margaret probably would have had to as well. Secrets in Storybrooke never seemed to stay secrets for long.

"Yeah, and I need a place to stay."

"What about the Crocodile?" Killian asked quickly.

"We're, uh..." Those words cut like a knife. In a perfect world, one where he cherished his family over his curse she would still be there and they'd be working on a nursery right now. But that was no longer an option. Well, at least there was one thing she was confident she could inform them of.

"We're not together at the moment," she explained sadly before remembering that while there were friends in this room there were also strangers and she wasn't keen on letting them know all her business just yet. This wasn't a bad thing. Leaving was good. It was a good decision for her son. "So, I thought maybe Granny would have a room."

"Oh, I would not wish those mattresses on my worst enemy," Emma chuckled, clearly unaware of just how many times she'd lived at Grannys. "We'll find you something better."

"Aye. I know just the place," Killian stated looking between her and Emma. Killian? Killian knew a place for her to stay? That was nearly as baffling as the strangers wandering around Granny's diner at the moment.

"What do you say, Swan?" the pirate questioned, point onward as if to lead the way but Emma's face quickly fell, and she turned back to look at Killian.

"Oh, I... I have an appointment with Archie."

"Ah, you're still going to see the cricket? I'm impressed."

"Did you think I was gonna back out?"

"Well, you know, being vulnerable isn't exactly your strong suit." Neither Killian or Emma was looking at her at the moment and suddenly she felt like they'd entered into a conversation she wasn't supposed to be a part of. For obvious reasons. Emma was seeing Archie and since she knew it wasn't just a lunch with the man but a appointment she could only assume that it was a professional appointment. Considering what Archie did…that was clearly personal. Not to mention it wasn't just the content of the conversation, but their tones were tense and she could sense that this entire conversation was one wrong comment away from a quarrel. If that last comment hadn't inspired that already. And she'd love to let them talk about it in private, maybe get some food, but what was she to do when she got the sense Hook wanted to leave right away? She was still confused that it was Killian who had the answer!

"You're right. We've been through a lot. Can't hurt to talk about it," Emma finally conceded. She was impressed. In her own experience that conversation would have turned to yelling in seconds.

"I'm glad to hear it, love." Suddenly Killian looked over Emma's shoulder and caught her eyes. She jumped and quickly looked away, trying unconvincingly to suggest she hadn't just been listening and hanging on every word of their very private conversation. "Right. This lady needs to find some accommodation!" Killian finally declared turning to her. "Right this way."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to 6x02! Not too much to say about this chapter. It's pretty straightforward. I did want so much for her to dwell on Robin and maybe even make her way out to the cemetery, but it won't happen in this fiction. It will, however, come about in the next one, so that will give you something to look forward to. Maybe?
> 
> Thank you to Taisch and SerafineSnape for the comments you left on the previous chapter. Never fear, Rapunzel will be back sooner than you think, along with the Red Room! In a season where there was very little focus on Belle, I had to give her those two things. Peace and Happy Reading!


	10. Oh Captain, My Captain

Killian Jones led her out of the diner and down the steps. To where? She couldn't be sure. She hadn't even given some stipulations on where she wanted to stay. For all she knew Killian would rent her out a room above the Pawn Shop. Well…doubtful, but the idea was correct. "You know, I'm not looking for anything fancy," she hollered out as she followed him away from Main Street. "I really just need a place to stay, to sleep each night and maybe have a cup of tea? I don't need anything big."

"Well then lucky for you the place that I have in mind is neither fancy nor big, but rather the perfect place to lay your head and rest. Bathroom situation might be a bit complex though."

They were nearly at the docks when those words stopped her. The bathroom situation would be tricky? What did that mean? And…if he knew a place she could stay why did they come to the Jolly Roger? Was there a key somewhere here that she didn't know about? Was he picking something up? Her case wasn't exactly heavy but it wasn't really light either.

"Just…where are you planning on taking me?" she questioned as she boarded the ship and followed him across the deck.

Finally, Captain Hook turned, smiled, and held out his arms in recognition. "Safest place I can think of to hide from the Crocodile," he beamed before turning back and leading her further into the ship. "I'll clear my personals away so you can stay in the Captains Quarters, you'll be far more comfortable there." And suddenly his entire plot made sense and brought her to a standstill.

"What? T-This is where you want me to stay?" she exclaimed. "The Jolly Roger?" Hook offered a small nod for her as he turned around but she only shook her head. No, no, no, this was not an option. Staying here risked opening up a can of worms not just for her but also for Killian, she wasn't willing to risk that. She was done with this silly feud and didn't want to be in the middle of it anymore! "Yeah, I'm sorry. I-I can't stay here. If Rumple finds you harboring me..."

"His wrath will be an added bonus."

Well that certainly gave her pause. Rumple's wrath was a bonus but not actually the purpose of him wanting to lend out his ship? That was odd to her. Every step those two took around each other was always to get their revenge, she wasn't about to get caught up in the middle of that again! But…this wasn't about that for him? Well, shouldn't it be? He did realize, what this looked like no matter what his intentions were, didn't he? He saw the risks, right?! He understood that he wasn't the Dark One or immortal anymore, didn't he?

"I don't understand. Why would you risk your life for me?" she questioned as seriously as she possibly could. He did understand that this wasn't the human Rumple that he'd dealt with in his shop and he wasn't a magical being anymore. Rumple was, in fact, the Dark One again! And he'd been looking for the perfect opportunity to murder Hook for hundreds of years, this would only give him reason to, if he ever found out where she actually was!

Beside her Killian gave a deep sigh and looked out over the ocean, purposefully, she suspected, avoiding her gaze. "Long ago, I...I tried to kill you in the Queen's castle once," he recalled. "I failed. But along the way, I did something I can...live with no longer. I laid a hand on you. And there's the matter of my shooting you at the town line."

"Yeah, well…"

She remembered. She remembered all of that! She'd run from him the first time that she saw him waiting for her in her library because she could still clearly recall the sting of her cheek that his hand had left behind. But that was years ago! The town line was far more recent, she had to admit but even that seemed like a lifetime ago. He'd been different, then, a villain! Even she had been different! A love-struck girl with no concept of just where love could go and how it could go wrong and hurt. The bullet to her shoulder had been painful, but Rumpelstiltskin's betrayal had nearly destroyed her. No, she never particularly considered Hook a friend, but she did consider him a comrade of sorts. They'd worked together, he'd tried many times to make up for his prior behavior as that pirate she'd first met. That was the fundamental difference between Killian and Rumple. Killian hadn't just changed, he'd been trying to change. He accepted the man he'd been before and was determined to shed that former reputation and behavior. Rumpelstiltskin was not. He was still saying that they could be together and he could be the exact same man he'd been the first time that she'd kissed him, that he could hold onto his power, his curse, and her. They were different now. She wished Rumple would do the same.

"You've changed since all that," she concluded sadly, aware of just who hadn't changed in all that time.

"Maybe," he conceded. "I have a long road to travel before I can be someone I can be proud of. Despite the forgiveness of others, I must forgive myself, and I'm not there yet."

So then having her stay here wasn't about getting back at Rumpelstiltskin, at least not entirely. He was trying to correct the mistakes that he'd made with her along the way. He was trying to take steps to show her that he was changing, he was doing actions to show that his words were true.

"Well, then I accept," she declared before she even knew that she'd made up her mind. The pirate did look surprised at her acceptance of his help, she couldn't entirely say that she blamed him but…beggars couldn't be choosey. She couldn't stay at Granny's, Ruby was gone, she wouldn't uproot Rapunzel, and she just couldn't go back to her father and surrender to life that easily…this was an option. Maybe not the best option considering the feud it might fuel. But Rumple didn't need to know she was here. He didn't need to know anything more about her and her whereabouts than was necessary and she felt sure that Killian was not about to reignite the past by going off and telling him. This wasn't the best option, but it was the only one she had at the moment. It was a place that she could sleep each night without displacing anyone as she searched for further options, an apartment or small house perhaps. It wasn't best for Rumple, but it was best for her and right now what was best for her was best for their son and that was really all that mattered. She had to prove to him that she'd protect him from anything. She had to change that vision of the man she'd seen.

"You're not the only one trying to make up for past mistakes. I spent way too long trying to make things work with Rumple just because I wanted them to. Now I've got to do what's best for my son. If that is staying here…then lead on Captain!"

Killian smiled at the placement of trust and then turned once more and led her into a place that she'd never been before. The Captains Quarters. The finest part of nearly every ship, or at least it was supposed to be. She had to admit that she had sailed a few places in her youth with her parents. Those ships had been part of their pitiful Royal Navy and the compartments for her family, while small and sparse had always been rich and lavish. Hook's space was different. It was large, but hardly anything special. A plain wooden table that rocked on it's mismatched legs, a small chest of drawers for the meager few clothes she'd left the house with, the bed was simple, wooden with thin blankets, and she knew exactly what she was going to ask Rapunzel for first. Across the way there was another little table that surprised her. Just when the plainness was beginning to remind her of the Enchanted Forest and she was thinking that she'd have to conform to living the way she once had, with little electricity, she spied something that would suggest otherwise.

"Is that a…hotplate?"

Beside the table and its odd misplaced piece of technology Killian was kneeling down and all at once she heard a loud humming sound that made her jump back in surprise. Killian turned on a latern that hung from the ceiling with an orange chord. This was not what she'd expected.

"Aye," Killian commented rising to his feet once more. "I thought I'd never get used to life in this strange realm once but Emma insisted and now I've adjusted. Emma calls it a generator," he explained showing her the odd little box on wheels. "It won't last forever, so you should only use it when you must. The fuel is just here and I'll show you how to start it before I go."

She stared at the thing skeptically. In hindsight, it didn't seem as loud as she'd first thought it was, but she wasn't entirely sure she trusted it either. And in a ship made of wood? With water around them?! "It's not going to catch fire is it?"

"Well if it does, I recommend running for safe harbor," Killian suggested with a smile and a small chuckled that suggested he'd been trying to make a joke of some kind. She didn't get it. "Right…" the pirate sighed awkwardly. "It's not much, but it's home. There's a lock on the door, just…just here," he informed her moving around the small space and pointing to the old fashioned iron on the door. "It won't do you much good against the crocodile if he finds out where you are, but it'll at least provide some sense of safety. And the Captains Quarters will feel far more like home than I imagine the bunk rooms will."

The bunk rooms will? Suddenly she felt her stomach turn over as her sense of humility kicked in. If she was staying in the Captain's Quarters…where would he be staying? "Are you sure?" she questioned looking around. "I have no right to kick you out of your home."

"Oh, you have every right," he responded. "After the way I treated you…you have every right. Besides, this room once was my life, but now…" he looked around the wooden room slowly, with sentiment, carefully scanning each piece of furniture and small trophy or decoration he owned before looking back at her. "With each passing day I find it is little more than a place to lay my head. If this place can offer some of the same solace that it once offered to me to someone else, then that is far better than what it is now.

"I can spend my nights in the bunks. You'll be just fine here."

She had an argument on her tongue, but couldn't bear to bring it up as he silently gathered a few armfuls of clothing and tossed them unceremoniously out of the room. She offered to help him move, but he shook his head and told her that she needed the time to get comfortable, despite the fact that she only had a single suitcase that had been hastily packed twice.

"Killian!" she called just before he shut the door to give her some privacy. She offered a smile when he looked back with questioning. "Thank you," she stated, her voice catching so that it was barely a whisper.

Still, Killian offered a dashing smirk in response. "It's a long time coming, love…Belle."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not really going to say too much about the first half of this chapter; I think most if not all of the Rumbelle fandom said it when it first aired. Instead, I'm going to focus on the second half of the chapter, because I refuse to believe that in the "seen" stuff that was the first half no one else in the world stopped to consider the rest. She's a pregnant person; it's a ship from the Enchanted Forest, where is she supposed to pee?! Or make her tea? Of course I'm sure there is a stove somewhere on the ship where men would cook and I'm certain that in ye olden days a chamber pot would have been sufficient in the captain's room but I just couldn't see Belle being truly comfortable enough to read a book if that kind of nastiness was just across the room! So I fixed the issue of her making tea in 6x04 first, coming up, we tackle where Belle pees. Let's face it ya'll, that's about as exciting as the rest of her storyline in season 6.
> 
> Thank you, SerefinaSnape for the comments that you left me on the last chapter. I'm glad no one seemed to mind how the Robin situation was handled in the end. I was a bit nervous that wouldn't go over well. Belle will eventually go to the graveyard and see his stone, but not in this fiction, that is coming up in the next fiction over the winter. Peace and Happy Reading!


	11. The Joy of Friendship

The moment Killian left her alone she unpacked the few belongings that she had, slid the suitcase under the bed, then sat down…and discovered her new enemy.

Her phone.

She had packed her bag inside the suitcase to make the walk easier on her and now the bag sat on the surprisingly comfortable bed, staring back at her. She hadn't brought much with her. Just the clothes she'd hastily packed last month. She had no books to read or tea to brew…there was no one to talk to. She hadn't even thought to bring sewing just to give her hands something to do. And so, she found herself staring down at her little flip phone, going through contact after contact. It was a pathetic excuse for a contact list, she felt Lacey squirm as she sifted through the few names. Archie, he was wonderful and she knew he'd let her do most of the talking if she called but she wasn't sure if wanted him to. She wanted a conversation, not therapy. David, she hadn't seen there in the diner. He was good for a conversation but she wasn't sure that she felt close enough to him for the conversation she had to have. Emma, they'd barely been friends before she wasn't about to become her best friend now. Flynn, she liked him alright but probably she should call Rapunzel instead. She had made a promise to tell her where she was.

It was in pushing the down button to get to her friend's name that she stumbled upon a single word. "Gold". The contact had been there since she'd gotten the phone. And just like always when she hit the button there were three numbers listed that she recognized instantly, the only numbers she had memorized. One for home, one for the pawn shop, one for his cell phone; so she could find him whenever she needed him. She felt her thumb twitch on the "call" button. Should she? Should she let him know where she was? That she was safe? That she was unharmed? Was he even worrying about any of that? The urge was strong. What would they talk about? The baby? Their problems? Their relationship?

Was there anything else she could say after leaving last night?

No. There wasn't. She loved him. She loved him so much, but she stood by what she'd said, being with him, the two of them together had never really done any good for either of them or for the world. She'd call and tell him where she was eventually, but now…it wasn't the time. Instead, she scrolled down through the directory to find the name that should have been first on her list. Rapunzel.

Rapunzel often told her that she was her hero, that she'd given her a life when she'd been too scared and fragile to have one, but she was coming to believe that Rapunzel was her hero. She'd taken her in far more than anyone else ever had, listened to her and been there for her in a way she hadn't had since Ruby left, and as far as saving her…she'd done it more times than she could remember. It was barely an hour after she placed the call to her to tell her where she'd ended up and what her situation was that there was a knock on the door and Rapunzel's voice was telling her "it's me" through the wood. She stepped through the door with two large trash bags and exclaimed that she'd scoured the library and come up with what she could. As it was, what she "came up with" was two warm blankets, a couple extra pillows, slippers, a tea kettle, a box of tea, chips, and…

"I checked it out for you, just…something for you to get excited about!"

 _"What To Expect When You're Expecting,_ " she read aloud a smile on her face. She'd even covered reading material. Perfect. With barely another thought she stretched forward and wrapped her arms around her and hugged her. "Thank you," she muttered in her ear. "I couldn't do all this without you."

"Oh…yes you could, but there is no trouble in asking for a little help every once in a while. And I'm happy to do it, you know that. Oh! Did you catch the drama on the docks a little bit ago? It was all the sailors I ran into were talking about!"

"Drama?" she questioned, a little shocked at the sudden change in conversation. "No, what happened?"

The Count of Monte Cristo happened apparently. She had no idea who he was, but Rapunzel seemed to have heard all about him since that morning. Apparently, he was living in the Land of Untold Stories and had something against Snow White and Prince Charming. Regina fought him off. She listened to the story but couldn't say that she was terribly surprised. Snow White and Prince Charming drew their fair share of "drama." That was probably one of the reasons that she hadn't thought to go to them this morning when she needed a place to stay. She had a baby on the way; she was ready to leave drama behind.

They talked for a long while as the sun went down and a few hours later Flynn showed up with dinner from Granny's and a key in his hand. He explained that the guy who worked in the boat house a couple of docks away was a friend, the key would unlock the building so she could let herself in to take showers and go to the bathroom whenever she wanted. It probably wouldn't be much use in the middle of the night, but at least during the day…

"It's wonderful!" she exclaimed taking it from him. "Really you're both…you're wonderful!" She choked on words and tears. This was a kindness she'd so rarely seen in her life. A kindness often not shown by people who knew her well and should have shown her kindness. It was nice to have friends again. Friends like Ruby who hadn't cared where she'd come from or how she'd gotten there, but just seemed to like her and want to help her. Friends she also felt she could give back to when the time came. It was a nice gesture.

But soon the time came for the pair to leave. Rapunzel was meeting her mother for breakfast the next morning and asked if she wanted to come but she refused. She couldn't latch onto her forever, and she knew that Rapunzel and her mother were close. They needed their time together. So she allowed the pair to leave, walked down the docks to explore the bathroom Flynn had found her, then returned to the ship, turned on the heater and closed her eyes with the smell of sea salt.

When she opened her eyes, it was the smell of fire and brimstone that met her. Instantly her heart dashed into a panic and what she saw before her was red. She screamed as she looked once more around the red room and quickly moved out of the way as she heard a crash and some wood plummeted to the floor, disappearing on impact.

She was here! Again! Or was it again?! Had this all been a nightmare? Was she finally going crazy, still trapped in this room was the real world the dream?!

"Belle!" she heard the call but didn't have time to look around her as she quickly dodged a column of fire that had sprung up between her feet. That led to another and another, and before she knew it she was wandering around again, holding her nightgown close to her as she moved until-

She shrieked as she collided with something, turned away, and felt heat sear over her wrist. She held it close to her as someone or something behind her gave her a sharp push, and she landed on all fours, she glanced behind her, and another column of fire had sprung up right where she'd been standing.

"Belle!" she looked up and was confused and mystified to find Aurora kneeling before her. She was still here! Just as always! And that must mean…she felt tears fall from her eyes as she realized that the outside world was some fantasy she must have been living in, that this nightmare was real and she-

Aurora grabbed her arm and looked at her wrist. "Small burn," she muttered to herself. "Shouldn't be too serious. Belle, I need you to tell me where you are!" the girl insisted suddenly.

Where she was? She looked around and struggled not to break into hopeless tears. Wasn't that obvious?! She was here. Trapped in this room! She'd be trapped here forever; it must be some sick, twisted joke Hades had come up with! Still, it was better this than have her baby!

"Belle!" Aurora yelled getting her attention by yanking on her chin. "Listen to me. I know you are scared, but you haven't been here. You just appeared which means you're not really here! It's a dream. You just have to wake yourself up! Do you hear me? Wake-up!"

Wake up? She was awake! She was seeing and hearing, she was smelling. She couldn't wake herself up, no one could wake up from a sleeping curse! Not by themselves, not without true loves kiss! _"A spell of passion can only be countered by it's contrary."_ The contrary passion to a curse was love she needed Rumpelstiltskin, she needed her father she couldn't-

"Okay," Aurora breathed suddenly moving closer and wrapping her hands around her head so she'd look at her instead of the flames around them. Around them. Not on them. Why weren't the flames touching her?! Them?!

"What's the last thing you remember?"

The last thing she remembered? How could she remember anything outside of this terrible place?

"Belle!" Aurora hissed. "The last thing you remember, tell me now!"

"Rumpelstiltskin!" she burst out. "I was in the pawn shop…I had no other choice! I had to do it."

Aurora paused for a second then shook her head and moved impossibly closer to her. "No, that was long ago, Belle…you're not under the sleeping curse, you are in Storybrooke, and we have to wake you up but I have to find you first. Where are you?!"

It wasn't a dream? None of it was a dream, it was real? This was the dream?

"Belle?! Where are you?!"

"I'm…I'm in…I'm on the ship," she recalled as a burst of flame blew towards them not two feet away! But it never came close to them. How was that possible?

"Okay, Belle…what ship. You have to tell me where to find you!"

"I'm…I'm on the Jolly Roger."

Aurora looked taken aback a moment, completely and utterly confused. "Hook's ship?" she clarified in a disbelieving tone.

She only nodded. "Yes, in…in the Captain's Quarters. He's in the bunks."

Aurora considered this for a moment. Then nodded again and looked around. "Okay, stay strong, I'm on my way!"

Then right before her eyes, Aurora began to fade and then vanished. She tumbled for a moment, unaware of how much of her weight had been on the girl, but when she looked up again and saw nothing but red and fire and heat…

Tears slipped from her eyes again as the fire drew closer and her wrist began to hurt, to feel like it was boiling. She let out a whimper as she held her am close and let her forehead touch the floor of the inferno. Aurora wasn't real. Rapunzel, leaving, Morpheus, their child…none of it was real. This room was real. This room was her reality, and she'd be trapped forever, burning, boiling, dying! Hades must have her; he must be watching her this very moment, laughing as she struggled to maintain her grip on real and not real!

She popped up at a loud sound she'd never heard before echoing through the room. First her eyes went to the ceiling, to the wooden beams that were constantly burning and falling to the ground without ever really collapsing. They fell all the time. But this groan wasn't like that! It was different. It echoed. It-

She rose quickly as she heard it again, arm to her body, looking wildly around. What was that? What was happening to her? What was happening in the room?

"Belle!"

Aurora's voice called out for her, clear and yet dim all at the same time. She looked wildly around for her, wondering if she'd come back the way she'd gone out. But she saw nothing. The flames still jumped and reached for her, and she had to keep moving!

"Belle!"

"Aurora!" she called out. The voice was getting louder now and the room…the room was getting fuzzy.

"Belle!"

Before her eyes in a rush of wind the room melted, left her with blackness, feeling tired, and then…the smell of sea salt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okey Dokey, a couple of things in this chapter. First and Foremost, one of the things I wanted to illustrate and that came up in several comments for the last chapter is that I truly don't believe Belle is "in hiding". I know that is what the press release for 6x02 said, but it also said Belle would ask Hook for help and that wasn't what happened at all. So no, I don't think Belle left Rumple with the intention to "hide" from him, but that being the case I also don't think, as this chapter illustrates, that she was exactly eager to call him up and tell him where she was for a number of reasons, stated above. Second, this chapter leads into an introduction for Aurora. 6x03 chapters are important chapters, we finally hear a little bit more about Aurora, what she's been doing and what she will do for Belle and for those of you who have been wondering about whether or not Belle ever finds out about her father...it's coming up.
> 
> Thank you, Taisch and SerafineSnape, for your kind comments. I am terribly aware that this fiction is not an easy read for anyone. It wasn't easy for me to write and the chapters are not fun to write. But your kind words constantly remind me to keep it up and continue to encourage me with the writing of the next fictions to come! Peace and Happy Reading!


	12. Curses of the Mind and Heart

The smell of sea salt was overwhelming when she finally jerked awake, but that jerk also led her to startling discovery. She wasn't alone in her room. Aurora was next to her on the bed, hushing her, telling her she was alright. Killian stood in the doorway, watching them, motioning to the door.

"I'm sorry to intrude," he was saying, looking a way with an uneasy shuffle. "But you were screaming-"

"That's not uncommon."

"You'd locked the door, we had to kick it in!"

She struggled to gather blankets around her as she sat up, confused and scared and tired. It was daylight out. She had no idea what was going on! Killian looked startled and Aurora was completely calm but she couldn't understand why or how she was here?! The emotions she'd felt in the Red Room were still fresh and strong and combined with the scene in front of her she felt the urge to bend over and cry again. They were still talking! Arguing! What was going on?

Finally she felt the bed shift and Aurora got off of it, walking to the door. "The only thing we need right now is privacy!" she yelled before slamming it in his face.

"It's my ship!" the pirate hollered.

"And this is my area of expertise!" she screamed back. "Go check on Emma and leave us be!"

That was the final word. She could hear the creaking of floorboards outside and Aurora walked back over to and made to hop back on the bed but she finally felt the feeling in her body return and held her arm up. "No!" she ordered trying to breath. "I need…I need…"

"A minute?" she princess supplied timidly for her. She nodded and Aurora pulled out a chair and sat down at the table. "It's fine. Take all the time you need. I'll be here when you are ready to talk."

Her mind was going through thought after thought. Surprise and shock, perhaps at first, at waking up and finding so many people in her room looking at her. But she'd drawn them, it seemed. Or Killian at least. She'd been screaming in her sleep according to him. He must have assumed that she was in danger and tried to break the door down, but Aurora…

She hadn't seen Aurora in…she wasn't sure how long! Not since Zelena had miraculously returned from the dead that was for sure. So why was she here?

Because she'd told her.

Her memories of the Red Room were fuzzy and crisp all at the same time. She remembered her nightmares all the time and her trips to the Red Room had a dream-like quality to them…but there was something far more real to them as well. In those dreams, the one she'd had last night, Aurora had been there. And she'd asked where she was. She'd fought the words off at first, filled with confusion about where she was, but she'd finally dragged the truth out of her. But…but it was a dream!

Or was it.

"How did you find me?" she questioned finally feeling some sense of sanity returning to her. The silence and tension broken, Aurora stood. She turned off the heater across the room first, then went to the windows to open one and let in the cool air.

"You know just as well as I do that you told me where you were," she muttered pulling out a chair for her before coming back to sit in her own.

She looked at the chair, wiggled her toes to make sure she could feel them, then hopped out of the bed, sat at the table and-

"Ouch!" Her wrist smarted as she leaned forward on the table and she immediately backed off of it, hissing under her breath.

"Oh! I grabbed something for that before I left!" Aurora was up again. She grabbed a big bag that she'd failed to notice was sitting at the door and brought it over the table to rifle through it. Finally, she pulled out a small tube of some kind and handed it to her. It was firm and cool to the touch, gray and completely unmarked. "I thought it looked bad so before I left the apartment I grabbed a little for you," she muttered.  When she did nothing with the tube, confused as to what it was supposed to be, Aurora reached forward and grabbed it again.  "It's just a little something of my own invention," she informed her unscrewing the cap and reaching for her arm. "The burns from the netherworld never seem to last long here but they don't hurt any less when they're healing."

"Burns?!" she questioned yanking her hand away to finally look over her wrist. It wasn't bad, but it also wasn't what it had been yesterday. The skin was red and raw in a couple of places. One particular spot featured a small blister and hurt perhaps the most and all she was really doing was looking at it.

"Yes," Aurora said, quickly grabbing her hand back. "You burned yourself when you turned around. Would have been worse if I hadn't pushed you out of the way. But you'll be fine. This will help."

She stared in astonishment, utterly speechless and heartbroken at the facts that hit her. Her arm was hurt, Aurora had memories as well…the Red Room was real. It was real and she was…

But she wasn't under a sleeping curse! And neither was Aurora! So how…

Oh, she nearly moaned in ecstasy as Aurora finally placed some of the cream over her burn. It was terribly inappropriate, but at the moment, she would have traded sex for whatever it was that Aurora had for her. It was heavenly.

"Is that magic?" she questioned.

"Maybe a little, but let's just call it burn cream for now," the girl explained as she finished doctoring her arm. "You won't need so much of it. Like I said, the burns from the Netherworld seem to heal quickly but they're still painful. I imagine it'll be gone in a few hours otherwise I'd give you the tube, but as it is I like to keep it in case of emergencies like this."

And she could easily see why. Her wrist nearly felt better already. Her mind on the other hand…

"So…it's real…the room I go to, the place I dream about…it's not a dream."

Aurora sat back down opposite her and shook her head. "Not exactly," she said. "It's not a dream, the Netherworld is real but you are dreaming. So in a way I suppose it's a little of both?"

"What did you call it…the Netherworld?"

Aurora nodded. "You must have a lot of questions. You can ask me whatever you want, I promise I'll answer honestly as best I can."

She mimicked her nod in response. She did have a lot of questions she just wasn't sure where to begin. There were too many starting places. "What is it?" she finally settled on.

Aurora gave a small sympathetic shrug. "Sorry, but I don't know much about it. I just know that the room we visit is a place within the Netherworld. It's not a physical place, you can't access it with a portal. The only people I've ever met there are people who have been placed under a sleeping curse. I check in every once in a while to see if there is anyone there who might need help. Imagine my surprise a week ago when I ran into you."

"That was real too?"

Aurora nodded. "I've never met anyone there that I knew already-"

"Wait, wait…you 'check in'? How?"

Aurora opened her mouth to answer, but then let out a smile and leaned forward. "Do you remember the first time I met you, back in the Enchanted Forest? You might not, I'm not entirely sure you were…well…you were in shock."

Shock.

Yes. Yes, she did remember the first time she'd met her. Barely. The memories were blurry and made her eyes fill with tears but she could remember. When they'd arrived in the Enchanted Forest after Rumple had died and Regina destroyed the curse it wasn't the Princess she'd recognized it was her Prince, Philip. She had been in shock, Rumple had only just died and then they were back in the Enchanted Forest without even a body to bury or a hope that he was still out there somewhere. It was all a horrible shock to her, but she remembered small bits and pieces. She remembered running into the forest, she remember clinging to Neal because he'd been the only one to really hold her up. She could remember Aurora reaching forward to hug her because Philip had told her about how he'd been freed from his curse by her and she could remember it was Aurora who had given her the dress she'd worn on the road. It had been purple.

She remembered more about that time than she thought she did apparently.

"A little," she finally admitted.

"I told you I lost Philip to a monstrous curse once, what I didn't say was that he lost me too."

"The Yaogaui?"

"Kind of. Maleficent turned Philip into the Yaogaui in order to make sure that I never woke up from my own curse."

"You were under a sleeping curse."

"I was. For a long time too. More than three decades…but Philip eventually found me and woke me and…it wasn't long after that I found myself going somewhere I never thought I'd see again in my dreams."

"The Red Room," she assumed.

Aurora nodded. "In subconsciousness, the mind slips back there after a sleeping curse. The problem is that you are more prone to burns and injury simply because the one holding you prisoner in the room is yourself. You can leave whenever you want to, all you have to do is wake up."

That was…not really that comforting. Aurora had told her this in the Red Room, she'd screamed at her that she had to wake up and yet nothing happened because…well, she hadn't really believed she was dreaming. She'd thought she was still there. Sleep had twisted reality.

"It's hard to remember when I'm there that it's not real. It feels real."

"Because it is. But that is why I am here. I have something for you," Aurora pulled her bag toward her and this time there was no rifling involved she simply opened a snap and extracted something long and slender from it, a chain of some kind. No! It was a necklace.

"I want you to have this for now. Not forever, I'll ask for it back eventually to help others, but for now you need it."

She took the necklace from the palm of her hand and examined it in her own. It had a long silver chain and she was certain that at that size it would hang perfectly at her belly button. At the end of the chain was an odd charm of some kind. It looked like a vial or a flask perhaps sealed with a stopper and was rather large considering the chain. There was something in it. Water maybe?

"What is it?"

"It'll help," Aurora answered. "Henry gave it to me a year or so ago, when I first got here and was having trouble with the Red Room. The way I understand it, he was under a sleeping curse once too."

"Henry?!"

Aurora nodded as she continued to blanch. Henry had been in a sleeping curse?! No one had ever told her that! "It all worked out in the end because he was able to help us in a big way and it was really all because of this. Gold gave it to him. It allows you to consciously walk in the Red Room. The fire attacks you there because you are scared of it, this will allow you to conquer your fear, keep the fires at bay, and I promise…one day you'll no longer go there in your sleep."

Now she eyed the trinket skeptically. "Rumple gave this to him?"

"Yes. And when I got to Storybrooke, after Henry stopped having the dreams he gave it to me. I don't have problems with the Red Room anymore so I keep it for emergencies like this. I give it to people who need it when I find them."

"That doesn't make sense," she exclaimed. "You said you stop dreaming of the room eventually…but you still do! You said you check-in-"

"And I do. I don't visit there as normal people do, for me it's…well, it's a bit more complicated. Spending so long in the sleeping curse and then having to navigate the world of the Red Room on my own after I was awake I developed a kind of…well, I guess you can call it a sixth sense. I walk in dreams now. I'm very in control of myself when I sleep and like I said…I pop into the Netherworld every now and then just to see if someone is in the room. That's how I found you. I was really just checking. I did what I could to find you and wake you when you were under the curse, but…it was out of my hands. The only thing I could do was wait until you woke up."

Suddenly Aurora became very interested in the sleeve of her shirt, what she could seen now was actually her pajamas. She must have literally gotten out of bed and come to find her but then…

Out of her hands?

"Well, you have the necklace now. Wear it when you sleep and return it when the dreams stop and trust me, they will stop-"

"Wait, Aurora."

"I should really go-"

"Aurora?"

"I left Philip with the baby and-"

"No, wait!" she got up and beat her to the door, throwing herself against it before the girl could leave. "What did you mean it was out of your hands?"

Aurora opened her mouth and shook her head, her eyes focused on her own, daring her not to say another word or demand the answer. She combed her pitiful memory of that place. It was difficult. Her memories of the Red Room when she'd actually been under the curse were difficult to recall, but she could recall Aurora being there, she could recall her confusion at seeing her. And Aurora's confusion too! But…it hadn't been because she had been there it was because…because…because she'd disappeared in an odd way. She hadn't woken up; she'd gone into the dream realm after they'd talked about…her father. She'd told Aurora about how she'd ended up there, begged her to get her to her father, just as she'd begged Rumpelstiltskin! It was out of her hands?

"Did you tell my father where I was?" she demanded suddenly.

She had. Aurora didn't have to say anything she could tell by the look on her face that was what had happened. Aurora had done exactly as she directed so then…what had happened? Why had she gone with Rumple to the dream world?

"D-did Rumple not tell him, or-"

"No, no it wasn't that…"

"What was it then?" Aurora looked her up and down once more, looking suddenly anxious to get out of the room. "Tell me, please! Did the kiss not work?"

"No, he just…" Aurora suddenly sighed and rubbed her forehead. "He didn't try," she finally muttered almost shamefully. Those words hit her harder than the fear of the Red Room had. He didn't try?

"What?" she whispered confused.

With a sigh, Aurora sat down in the seat she'd had and looked anywhere but at her. "When I first found you, obviously, I looked for Rumpelstiltskin first, but I was right, he'd gone to New York, he was nowhere to be found and neither were you short of breaking into the Dark One's home. No one had seen you or could tell me where you were. So I went you your father, to see what he knew and…he knew you were asleep, and he knew Rumpelstiltskin was trying to wake you because he'd come to him and asked him to kiss you awake but…"

Her body was tingling and cold as she heard the tale. "He refused to wake me."

Aurora nodded, finally looking up to meet her gaze. "He made a deal with Rumpelstiltskin that if he left town and agreed to leave you in peace then…he would wake you. Obviously, he didn't take that deal and your father…he held firm in his demands. He didn't know you were pregnant. Sorry, I kind of dropped the ball on that one when I went to see him."

She looked up at her hopefully. Rumple had done what she'd asked of him! He done it, he'd gone to her father and asked to have her woken…but he couldn't and wouldn't keep away from her and so her father refused. Rumple hadn't told him why she'd ended up in the curse. Would it have changed things?

"What did he say?" she questioned of Aurora desperately.

The Princess only squirmed again so that she knew it was useless to hold on to something so fantastical as if it would make a difference.

"I'm sorry," she muttered finally. "He didn't seem remorseful of the decision he'd made."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually kind of like this chapter.  Which is surprising because I feel like there are a lot of things in this chapter I shouldn't like.  I told you way back when I had Rapunzel filling Belle in on certain things that one of the difficult jobs of this fiction was figuring out how to give her the information she was missing when she slept and who was best suited to give her that information.  For the information about her father, I didn't think it was like Rapunzel to have it and really I didn't want her to have all the answers.  I thought that it was extremely unlikely that Rumple would give it to her just because there was no good place to put it.  So, I opened a door for a little bit of a minor plot in this fiction.  Aurora.  Strangely enough, I actually kind of like her in this fiction.  I've never really been a fan of Aurora.  She's always just seemed really whiny and bratty to me.  She's very much so a "princess" but not the kind that Belle and Snow are on the show.  Don't get me wrong, I'm sure that was not intended by the writers and if we had actually seen the great adventure it took to get Philip back then I would feel differently.  But we didn't.  And my memories of Aurora are traipsing through the Enchanted Forest with a feathery boa, sending the major characters to Zelena to save their own butts, and that is pretty much it.  But with Belle entering the Red Room I saw a small opportunity to give her a job, a passion, and a purpose in life.  As a young mother, who I assume is just taking care of the baby while Philip works, I liked the idea of her checking in on the Red Room, of finding wayward souls out, and assisting in the breaking of sleeping curses.  I liked the idea of her using her dream walking gifts for good and thought that it wasn't outside the realm of possibility that if Henry would give that necklace to anyone, it would be Aurora.  And that put Aurora in the perfect place to tell Belle about her father. 
> 
> Thank you SerafineSnape for your comments on the last chapter.  I know we're in the midst of some tough chapters but I really am very eager to hear what you think about this chapter and this addition to the storyline.  I'm hopeful that even if you don't like it, you'll at least think it is a sensible and logical path to follow, all things considered.  Peace and Happy Reading!


	13. The Truth of Honest Conversation

Aurora, she could see, was torn after she let the bomb that was her father drop on her. Belle was upset, or perhaps more accurately, in shock. She stood there with the door pressed against her back staring into nothing, nearly in tears. Aurora stepped forward to hug her, but she could see her eyes dart to the door nervously and realized that while she might not have wanted to tell her about what she'd learned from her father, she might not have been lying about why she'd had to go. She was in her pajamas, and she knew that she did have a baby around Neal's age.

"You should go," she muttered eventually. "I uh…I really need to straighten this place up."

Aurora sighed as she looked around the room then back at her. "Are you sure? I could call Philip or…maybe I could call someone for you! Snow White or Emma? Do you really think you should be-"

"No, you know I'm…I'm fine, and I know you have other things to do. I'll be fine here, I'm just going to…probably take a nap now that I have this. And thank you, by the way, for the charm-"

"Belle."

"-I'm sure it's going to help."

Aurora looked at her with sympathy, but then checked her watch and nodded. "If you're sure…"

"Yeah, it's…it's fine." With a little more egging she eventually got the princess out of the room. She closed the door only to find that the lock was broken, Killian must have kicked it in when he was trying to get to her. She didn't care really. The lock was a nice touch, but in her heart of hearts she knew it wouldn't have stopped anyone who wanted to see her from getting into this room. Obviously, it hadn't posed a challenge to Killian and Aurora. Instead of repairing it she wandered back over to the bed grabbing the small trinket Aurora had left her on the table as she went and tumbled into bed again. She was exhausted, but even as she placed the necklace over her head and under her night shirt she knew that this wasn't the type of exhaustion that would bring on sleep, but rather the kind that would keep her up the rest of the day and night.

She rolled over onto her back for comfort, but her eyes wouldn't close. She just stared at the wooden ceiling above her. Her thoughts were not racing, they came in waves, crashing against her skull like the very sea she was floating upon. It was always odd to her how one little detail could change so much. She'd been so angry at Rumpelstiltskin because he hadn't done what she'd asked. She'd been trapped in that dreaded room for so long it had played with her mind. It was fuzzy and foggy now, but the memories of how furious she'd been with him were there, along with the clear memories of everything leading up to the sleeping curse.

Ever since the Red Room she had blamed him for not getting her out faster. She wasn't about to call it a mistake, she knew that curse was the only option they'd had with Hades threatening to take her baby. But she had blamed him for it. For getting her into that mess, for forcing her to do what she'd had to do. She had blamed him so much for it that she had almost completely forgotten why she had gone back to him in the first place, instead of taking that poisoned needle to her friends. She trusted him. She knew it was wrong to do such a thing, after all he'd done to her and against her. But it was true. Some part of her, a part that was very, very deep at the moment, still trusted him with her life. And part of her knew that he would trust her as well.

She hadn't considered before why she didn't go to the others, but now that she thought that scenario through she knew it wouldn't have worked. They'd had too much going on, and as she'd explained her plan, Regina would have disagreed and used magic to take that needle out of her hand long before she had the opportunity to use it and do what needed to be done. Somehow she knew Rumple wouldn't have done that. Oh, she knew that he wouldn't like the plan and showed no surprise when he made it clear that he didn't. But he had let her do it. He, like Regina, could have taken that needle from her hands at any time with magic far faster that she could have blinked, let alone pricked her finger. But for whatever reason he didn't. He'd let her fall asleep.

And she'd gone to him because he'd trusted him to keep her and their unborn child safe. She knew he'd protect them and wake them…she just hadn't considered how far he would have to go.

Take her to her father, use True Love's Kiss to wake her. It had seemed so simple and fool proof! She'd been furious for a couple of days thinking that he'd dragged her into the DreamWorld on some whim just to wake her up on his own…she'd never considered that it was because her father had refused. He'd made a deal with Rumple to leave her…he didn't take it.

Her father might have known about the baby; he might not have. But Rumple did. He couldn't have taken her father's deal and leave both her and their child behind. If it was just her he probably would have done it. But with the baby…he'd found a way to wake her. One that didn't involve True Love's Kiss because that would destroy him too. He had woken her…but only as it was beneficial to him as well.

She turned on her side and waited for tears to come, but they never did. When she'd first heard that she didn't know who to be angry with. Her father for proposing such a thing or Rumple for not doing at least that for her so she could wake. Now she knew who she should be angry with…but anger wasn't the emotion she felt. She didn't feel shock or outrage or sadness. She just didn't feel. She hadn't felt like this for a long time. Not since-

"I brought presents!" she jumped off the bed as a smiling Rapunzel unexpectedly stepped into the room weighed down with three or four bags in each hand. She looked around with her wide smile and located her sitting up in bed, clutching the blankets in surprise. "You're still in bed? I brought lunch and…what happened?" she demanded, her smile fading as she set the bags aside and perched herself on the end of the bed.

It took some prodding, but she finally let the tale come out of her. It felt like it should have taken an entire day, but in the end, it was only a few minutes long. There really wasn't much to it. She'd been screaming in her sleep because of the Red Room, Aurora had found her and woken her up, she'd explained where she was, given her the charm to protect her, and then told her about why her father hadn't woken her. Rapunzel wasn't stupid. She already had some knowledge that the relationship between her and her father was less than perfect. Still, she could see that even she hadn't known just how bad it was until she told her the tale.

"I'm so sorry Belle," she apologized. "If I'd have known-"

"It's not your fault," she whispered quickly, swiping at her cheek only to feel it was dry. Still no tears.

"I keep looking at my phone," she confessed crawling over to the place it had been stored through the night and grabbing it. No new messages, not from her father or Rapunzel or Killian. Not from Rumple. "I don't have many people stored on here, and when I call you I inevitably stare at his name and wonder…"

"Wonder what?" she asked gently.

"If I should call him," she confessed finally picking up her head and refusing to look at the thing any longer. "Tell him where I am."

"So…why don't you?"

Why didn't she? Wasn't that a loaded question with a backward answer. She could trust him with her life, with their son's life, but…she couldn't trust him not to lie to her, or kill others, or sacrifice his own best interests for her. Being the one to make the first move had never worked with him. Did she want him to know where she was? Did she want to be the one to initiate?

"Am I awful for wanting him to call me first?" she burst out. "I'm so tired Rapunzel, I'm so tired of being the one that constantly gives in to his demands or tries to fix things. Is it awful that I want him to change? To come after me for once?"

"I don't know," she admitted after a moment. "Months ago, before I met you, I would have said it wasn't wrong, but now…who really knows what goes on in a relationship? Do we even know? It's one story to you, and maybe that doesn't seem like such a terrible idea, but to him, it's another story. I think the only ones who can really decide what is best for you is both of you. But I'm here to listen if you need me. To shoot ideas off of."

She shook her head. That was not an acceptable answer! She didn't want to bounce ideas off her or hear a princess's diplomatic answer. She wanted her friend to answer her honestly. "Do you think it's wrong of me? Am I making a mistake?" she demanded looking her dead in the eye.

Rapunzel responded in kind, with a confident stare of her own and a small shake of her head a few moments later. "No, I don't think so. But I only know your side of the story. Who knows what it is like from his perspective."

She gave an impartial nod at the opinion. She felt herself nodding, but wasn't sure what she was agreeing with. Was that the answer she'd wanted to hear or not? Did she want to be right? Was it easier to be wrong?

"I don't really feel anything right now. Sadness or happiness or even anger. I don't think I know what to feel. Or maybe it's just a side effect of the curse."

"Maybe it's just life," Rapunzel inserted. "It used to happen to me too when I was little. Right after my brother died and people were talking about how I'd be Queen some day…I just felt nothing for a week or so. My mother said it was because there was too much going on. The body has limits on energy so why not emotion? You've just been through so much, it makes sense that you would start to numb to these things to protect yourself. Otherwise you might get so scared that one day you do something stupid like ride off to go find a magic root and never be seen again."

She let out a small snort at that. She knew it was part of Rapunzel's story, how she'd ended up in the tower, but she hadn't said it derisively. It was funny. "See!" Rapunzel blanched. "You are still in there. We just have to work on pulling you out!"

Was she living in a pit? Was her body just shutting down after rejection after rejection to protect herself?

"Okay…lucky for you I brought the way out with me! My mother and I did a lot of talking about you this morning. She told me that if you wanted, you could go live with them, my mom and dad."

She stared utterly confused at her for a moment. Honestly, she hadn't expected this turn in the conversation. Though she knew Rapunzel well, she hadn't really spoken to her parents for a long time at least nothing as in depth as when they'd all been guests in Regina's castle. Go and stay with them? In a house? With indoor plumbing and heat and electricity? This time yesterday she would have jumped on that offer in a heartbeat. But now, looking around her little shack of solitude…she wasn't sure she wanted to be around people. For one she just didn't feel up to it. For another…Rumple already hated Killian. If he found her on this ship there would be no love loss, but she didn't really know about her relationship with Rapunzel, she didn't know what would happen if he found her living at her parent's house.

"Thank you…that's a kind offer, but-"

"Yeah, we kind of figured that would be your response," Rapunzel smiled getting off the bed. "Which is why after we got bored with breakfast we went shopping because Belle…" Rapunzel sighed as she looked around the small room. "The first step to feeling happy and getting yourself back again is owning your atmosphere! You are going to have a baby! You should be happy! And you need a comfortable place to be each and every night, which is why, along with lunch, I brought you…" she reached down and hauled all the bags, except the one she recognized as Granny's onto the bed. "Presents!"

As she peered into the closest one, she felt herself break into a small smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A necessary filler chapter. Because I wasn't content to have Belle sitting around without the Red Room, I knew that 6x03 was going to be the episode that some of that went down, but at the same time, I had to get her from Red Room drama, to David's visit. And along with that, I had to have her decorate the Captain's Quarters because I'm sure even you noticed that it was vastly different in 6x03 than when Hook showed it to her in 6x02. Besides, I'm always up for a good Rapunzel/Belle chapter, and this seemed a good enough chapter to have one. I liked the idea of Rapunzel being the voice of reason. Yes, of course, she is on "Belle's side" if you want to get technical, that's part of being a good friend. But I liked the idea of her being the one to say that it was only because she knew her side better and that there were two sides to each and every story. I hope that you'll agree that led to a decent conversation.
> 
> Many, many thank yous to Taisch for the comments you have been leaving me! Wow! I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed Aurora and liked hearing what she's been up to, at least as far as Moment's goes. I'm happy to hear I didn't screw that up too much and might have made a decent choice in characters for all that. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Peace and Happy Reading!


	14. The Complexity of Relationships

The bags Rapunzel had brought with her onto the ship were not all she had. Belle changed out of her nightgown quickly as Rapunzel talked, but before she could even begin to unload what was in the bags Rapunzel had brought with her the Princess stopped her and told her she had more in the car. It was an understatement. The car was packed. It appeared that the bags she'd brought had actually come from the backseat, just on the driver's side. It took each of them three more trips to bring in every paper, plastic, and trash bag the girl had managed to shove into the little car she didn't even know she had. Rapunzel and her mother had thought of everything. The paper bags had books galore stacked inside of them. Old books, new books, books with magic, books with stories, romances, fairytales, westerns, even mysteries, and of course a book or two on pregnancy. But since the only thing Rapunzel hadn't thought to bring was furniture, they stacked the books high as they could and found little places to put them around the room. She brought her a small trash can, a tea set, a cloth to make the table a bit more "homey", some candles and flowers, and some bedding and pillows, not just to make it a bit more comfortable as she slept, but also more inviting during the day. She even brought a trunk so that she could organize her clothes under the bed and not have to live out of the suitcase. By the time they were done organizing and reordering it was well past lunch and Belle was happy enough just to feel the tug of a smile on her face again.

The small cabin that had once been cold and unfamiliar no longer felt like a strange place. It certainly didn't feel like it was a home, but it did feel like it was hers and that did wonders for her soul.

"I'll bring dinner by tonight and in the meantime, you should relax, take it easy, do something you love."

She smiled and nodded as Rapunzel finished gathering up the little bits and pieces of trash around the small cabin. "Thanks, I will, but…you know you…you don't have to bring me food all the time and…I'm not exactly a prisoner here, I won't let anyone ever confine me against my will and I certainly am not about to do it to myself. What if I meet you tonight at Granny's for dinner? I'm sure I'll be ready for a change of scene by then."

Rapunzel looked her over with a smirk that she suspected meant more than she thought it did. But eventually her friend nodded in agreement. "Alright, that sounds really good. I'll see you at the diner around six then."

"Oh! And thank your parents for me for…all this."

"Oh it's fine!" she insisted before she left. "I never knew how many loyal subjects we had who owned shops here! They were happy to donate some of their old stuff to help a good friend of mine who had to remain nameless."

She wasn't quite sure why that information made her smile, but it did. There was something innately happy about it. Maybe it was just the kindness others had shown to her, or the kindness of Rapunzel's parents, or even the kindness of her friend, but it was nice to have what she had really never had before now and that was a friend. Of course, Ruby had been great, but it was different somehow with Rapunzel, different in a way that she couldn't quite pinpoint. Rapunzel was neither Ruby nor Anna or even Samuel she was just…Rapunzel. And she liked that.

Left to her own devices to do "something she loved" there was only one thing she truly felt that she could do, she found the book that Rapunzel had brought her yesterday, _What to Expect When You're Expecting_ , and sat down at her little table to read. Reading always was something that she loved, but being pregnant, the expectation of the baby…every time she thought of him she couldn't help but smile. He chased away the feeling of numbness, the feelings of rejection, the nightmares and the sorrow she confronted day in and day out. In a way reading the book was better than just doing one thing she loved, it was preparing for something she loved even more than the words in the book.

When the knock came at the door, she was so happy and distracted that her first thought wasn't to panic, but that perhaps Rapunzel had come back to visit or Killian or Aurora. Her instincts were correct, but the friendly face waiting for her when she looked up was that of David Nolan, a very unexpected sight!

"David, hi," she beamed as he chuckled awkwardly. She set her book down quickly and took a glance around her small compartments. There was a blanket on the chair closest to her. If she moved it they could sit and talk! "Come in. Do you, uh...want to sit down?"

"Oh, no, no, no, no, thanks. I'll... I'll stand."

Well, that didn't exactly help the good feeling she'd had until about three seconds ago. Reality was an unfortunate thing and all of a sudden the logic of his visit came barreling toward her. This was David after all. She liked David. She suspected David liked her as she'd never really known him to dislike anyone except of course Neal for a short time. But she wouldn't say she was friends with David. And he wasn't Hook, as far as she knew he had no reason for being on the docks or the Jolly Roger. So if he wasn't here out of friendship, then that left business. The fact that he was smiling awkwardly at her, acting just a bit more timid than usual and wouldn't take a seat…so much for finally getting in a good mood.

"What, uh... what brings you here?" she asked suspiciously hovering over a chair. If she needed to sit down from whatever news he brought, at least she'd be prepared.

"Nothing much," he sighed, his smile finally disappearing. "I have something for you. From your husband."

From her husband?! Before she could respond he reached into the side breast pocket of his jacket and held something out for her. She didn't know what it was, but Lacey did. It was a cassette tape, like the kind she would have listened to music on but she could see that it had no words imprinted on it, which meant it was blank. He'd recorded something on it?!

"I have no idea what it says. I'm…just the messenger," he explained with warning as he set it down for her on top of a book.

She looked it over the tape with trepidation. Her heart had initially pounded out of fear that he'd found her, but…that wasn't what David had said. He was the messenger. Rumple hadn't called her instead he'd done what she asked and kept away without visiting himself. And David being here at the ship was no proof that he even knew where she was. He was a smart man, he knew that if anyone in town would know where she'd gone, then it would probably be the Nolan family. Emma would never tell him where she was, no one in the family would, she was certain. But he'd know that they were aware of a where to find her. He'd just used him as a messenger but…why was David messaging in the first place. She felt sure that David wouldn't get in the middle of this or side with Rumple in all this, not in a million years. Why would he…

Looking up at David, it made sense. The trickster was up to his tricks again. "You? A messenger?" she accused silently. David only gave a small guilty nod. They both knew what had happened here. "What did you need from him?"

She felt wrong asking, it was his deal not her own, if David felt it was worth it then who was she to judge. But the question was out of her mouth before she could stop it. She didn't have to know but she wanted to. What kind of tricks was he playing this time. "He has information about my father…about his death."

She took a deep breath. "And you had to make a deal to get it? Sounds like my husband." His deals always had been a bit of a sore spot for her. Yes, she knew why he made deals for certain things and it wasn't awful to ask something of someone else in return for another thing but…this wasn't magic he was using, it didn't require his powers. As far as she knew this was just information that could help David and that was where she didn't understand the reasoning. Why not just do the right thing and give David the information because he could?

Because that would be friendly. And Rumple didn't want friends or allies…she feared that deep down, whether he knew it or not, he would always push people away because he wanted to be alone. What would that do to her? What would that do to her child?

It was a question for another time. Though part of her wanted to refuse the gift she could see Rumple refusing to give David his information until it got to her, so she had very little choice in this matter. With a swallow and only one small moment of hesitation she reached out and grabbed the tape off the book so unceremoniously it rattled in its plastic container. Taking it didn't mean she had to respect it or listen to it. Maybe if she damaged it, she'd have an excuse not to play it.

"There," she breathed to David. "You can, uh...you can say I took it. And I'm sorry," she added quickly before David could respond, suddenly realizing exactly what kind of information he was going to get. Information on the death of David's father…she didn't know he'd lost a parent. He must have been young, he seemed far too calm and cavalier about it for the loss to have occurred recently. Besides, she'd spent time with David, they traveled in the same circle, if it was something that was recent she knew she would have heard about it. "I'm sure it must not have been easy growing up without your father."

"It was," he answered with a sigh. "Of course, it wasn't easy when he was there, either. Drunk and sad."

David laughed about it, but she could see the pain hidden in the recesses of the smiles, especially when he hung his head. She never would have guessed that kind of a father was David's origin. A father who was absent first mentally and psychologically and then one who was absent permanently. Still, despite his flaws, David seemed to remember him pleasantly enough and with love of some kind. He seemed determined enough to know what happened to him. She couldn't help but think about Neal, about how he'd continued to love his father through his darkness even though the relationship was tarnished and difficult. Both sides of his life had been difficult. But which was worse? When Rumple was around and addicted to his power, or when he was gone and Bae was free of that darkness but also his love and parentage.

"Mm…I guess it's…it's hard to say which is worse for some fathers," she recalled, thinking about how Neal had often talked of those times. Did he even know which was worse? Or was it just all bad?

"Gone," David responded after only a few silent seconds. "It was worse having him gone."

She felt her throat tighten and tightened her fingers around the chair so that she could fight the urge to wrap her arms around her stomach. She hadn't actually meant for him to respond, she'd only meant it to be a rhetorical question, but now that he had she felt even more confused. What would Bae say if he knew where she was and what had happened? What would he say to his father if he knew that he was about to get a little brother? Would he tell him he needed to change, or would he instead talk to his younger brother, and give him advice for a relationship he never got to have, but wanted and probably needed? For that matter if she found out her father was about to have another daughter, what would she do? Who should be forced to endure for the other? Her first thought was the easy answer, her second was the more difficult, but did that make it the wrong answer?

"Fathers and sons…" she mused. "It's hard for you, I think. Cause no matter what the damage to the relationship, you need each other." A father wouldn't be a father without the child. And the child couldn't exist without the father. It was the same with mothers and daughters or any parent and child.

"Hmm…" David nodded, thinking about what she'd said. "I guess that could be true for any relationship. Fathers and sons, daughters and mothers, any parent and child really…villains and heroes too."

"And spouses…" she muttered in an off handed manner, but the words came out louder than she'd wanted them to.

"Yeah…" David breathed. "Spouses too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually kind of like this chapter, even though it was nothing really exciting on screen. I liked the idea of Belle thinking on what Neal would have to say about all of this without actually summoning his memory like she would have done in past fictions. Don't get me wrong, I miss those conversations, but I always made it clear that those conversations (with the possible exception of the last one) were always taking place in Belle's mind. She was thinking her own thoughts, just putting Neal's face on them. I felt that having her think about what Neal would think without summoning him is actually a step in the right direction because it shows her really weighing her options. And I do like the consideration here because it is an interesting conversation. I know, I'm a Neal fan, I always have been. I loved his character but his relationship with Rumple was hardly flawless. And sure, in the end, there was forgiveness there, but I think forgiveness is a lot easier to give when it doesn't have to be acted upon later. Who knows what that relationship would have looked like in later seasons. I would have liked to see it, but I don't have rose colored glasses. I think it would have been difficult. Honestly, Belle is thinking two-dimensional here "right" and "wrong", my opinion is that if Neal was around he'd probably turn into the mediator for them, Rumple wouldn't have gone so much off the tracks, and life would be a little easier for the whole family. Just my opinion. Don't tear me apart for thinking it.
> 
> To answer a question I keep getting, yes, I am aware of the interview where EdR thought that Hook and Belle played board games; however it is not included in this fiction for the same reason I haven't included other things from interviews. It's not canon. Not officially. Sadly. The actors can only make guesses and have opinions like we do, but the writers can choose to include those opinions. Peace and Happy Reading!


	15. Nothing But Opportunity Before Her

She tried to shake off the feeling that her conversation with David had left her with, but in the end, the physical reminder of the tape sitting on the table was too much. So she tried a different approach, out of sight out of mind.

First, she sat the tape behind a stack of books, then inside a vase, then under the mattress, and finally, just as the darkness outside was growing, back in her hands.

Listen to it? Don't listen to it? Listen to it? The tape was making her antsy. But what was making her even antsier was the fact that she really didn't have a choice. Odd. She would have thought that the fact that she didn't have the equipment here in the cabin to play the tape even if she wanted to would make her feel better! That she'd feel as though the burden had been lifted from her in some way. Maybe it was fate telling her that she shouldn't listen to the recording. But she couldn't ignore the fact that only five minutes away, there was a tape recorder sitting on a shelf in the back room of her library, just waiting to be signed out.

In the end the trip into towns to meet Rapunzel was a welcomed thing. She left the tape behind on the table, and began a slow and unsteady walk toward the diner, surprised by just how much being on a ship for twenty-four hours could affect her gate. But she never really did leave the tape behind. The moment she appeared on Main Street and looked down at the library it was there, in the back of her mind, still sitting unplayed on the table.

Fortunately for her Rapunzel chose that moment to leave the library. She locked the door, hung a note that said she'd gone to dinner on the outside, and turned to wave at her before hurrying down the street and confessing that she was starving. The meal was good, it was wonderful to see the diner so crowded with so many new faces and fashion designs that intrigued Lacey to no end. But she still felt distracted. Rapunzel, obviously sensing her distraction, asked if she was alright and she told her about what David has said and the trip he paid to her.

"Why don't you just get the tape player from the library before you go back to the ship tonight?" she suggested sipping on her tea. "That way you can listen if you want to."

"I'm not afraid of listening to the tape; I'm afraid of what will happen when I do."

Rapunzel eyed her suspiciously for a second, reading between her words as she so often did before smiling. "Are you afraid that you won't like what you hear, or that you will?"

Wasn't that just the question?

"Daddy! Daddy!" They both jumped at the sound of screams as a small boy who had been standing at the back of the diner ran past them and toward the door, it was only then that she saw another group of people she'd never seen before had come into the diner. The boy obviously knew one of the men as his father but the way the father acted she could tell that it wasn't just a meeting for dinner. The father dropped the sack over his shoulder and knelt down so that the child could run into his arms before he lifted him up off the ground and hugged him tightly, his eyes closed in happiness. A woman swept by them next and whispered something to the man before he reached out and grabbed her as well. Obviously, they were not witnessing a normal encounter, but a miraculous family reunion. Who knew the last time they had all seen each other? It might have only been a couple of days since they'd been separated, but to them, it seemed like years. She couldn't hear, but she could distinctly make out the words "I'm sorry" coming from the father's lips as he held his family. Instantly she wanted to know their story. What had he done? What was he apologizing for? Where had he been? Why were they separated? So many stories…

"I have a feeling that it's not just Rumpelstiltskin you are struggling with…"

She looked up and found Rapunzel giving her that suspicious stare again. For spending so much time in a cursed tower, she was oddly perceptive. Though maybe that was just with her.

"If you want to call him, call him," she urged.

"After what he did-"

"So then don't call him for him. Call your father because you want to. Rant, rave, tell him off, or just tell him you're safe, but don't do it for his peace of mind. Do it for your own."

She opened her mouth to respond, to tell her she wasn't sure what would give her peace of mind when it came to a father who had the opportunity but wouldn't rescue her from the Red Room, but someone leered over their table before she could.

"Archie!" she breathed rising to give him a hug. Though it had only been a couple of weeks since she'd seen him that was before the incident in the Underworld and the Red Room and now it felt like an eternity had passed. He hugged her back with surprise as Rapunzel offered him a seat. But he only turned it down stating that he was busy lately and had to get back to the office to finish some things before he walked Pongo for the night.

"Oh, right, I…I hear you are seeing more of Emma these days."

Archie's friendly smile suddenly took on look of falsity and nervousness. "That's ah…that's confidential, actually."

"Oh! Yes, of course, I didn't actually expect you to-"

"I understand," he interrupted. "You're just checking on a friend. Your intentions are good. And therapy, you know, can do people a world of good. All kinds of people."

"Be careful," Rapunzel inserted. "I know that line; he's about to offer you his card."

"Well I wasn't, but now that you've brought it up…" Archie patted himself down as she looked across the table and found Rapunzel smirking into the tea she was drinking. Apparently, this happened a lot more than she knew. Finally, Archie found his wallet and pulled out a card which was useless because Archie was one of the few people that she had contact information for stored into her phone. "If you ever need to talk, you know you can come to me at any time, day or night."

She smiled politely as she took the card and thanked Archie before he determined that he had to get back to the office and left. "Do I look like I need therapy?" she hissed across the table at Rapunzel, who no longer could hold in a burst of laughter and shook her head.

"Honey, you are married to the Dark One if you don't need therapy I don't know who does."

It took a moment, but eventually, she couldn't help but laugh as well. That was true. She had married him nearly five months ago and…her stomach gave an unnatural twist as she felt all of the laughter leave her lungs. Five months…she did the math in her head and realized...

"Belle?"

"Five months…" she muttered. "We'll have been married five months this past Wednesday…"

Two days ago. Two days ago they had their five-month anniversary and instead of exchanging flowers or pleasantries and celebrating, he was sending her a tape…would she listen to it?

Though she still hadn't made up her mind by the time dinner was over she found herself wandering down the street toward the library with Rapunzel. She asked if she was sure when she pulled the tape recorder out and handed it to her. She shook her head. No, she wasn't sure, she wasn't sure about listening to it at all, but at least this way she had the means to do it.

Back at the ship her thoughts toyed with her. She thought of her husband, of the fact that it was only five months ago they'd met with Archie and her father at the wishing well and had made their vows. Five months…it felt like an eternity had passed since then. Their marriage had only actually lasted a few days and yet…she still called him her husband. She hadn't filed papers for divorce and hadn't even really thought about it. They weren't living together nor were they really romantically involved but the idea of not being married to him, not being his wife or having him as her husband…it was almost unfathomable, even after all that they'd been through.

She sat at the table, candles lit, staring at the tape she was turning over and over in her hands. Though she wasn't sure what she really wanted she was aware that the first thing she'd done was put the batteries in the player and fetch the tape from where she'd hidden it under her bed. Five months. Five long, agonizing months of marriage. So much had changed since that night and they weren't the only ones.

Her phone stared at her once more and she couldn't get the image of the little boy running over to his father or the conversation that she'd had with David out of her mind. She was at war once again with her father. Maybe it was her? Maybe it wasn't the men in her life at all maybe she was just bad at relationships. Maybe she couldn't see what was good or bad. Maybe it was just as Rapunzel had said, did anyone really know what happened in a relationship?!

Without being sure when she'd decided to do it, she set the cassette tape down, picked up her phone and walked to the window. She scrolled through until she found the number for the flower shop, not her father's cell phone or home number, because she didn't want to run the risk he would actually pick up. Sure enough, after a few rings, she heard her father's voice on the Game of Thorns recording, telling her that unfortunately he was closed but would reopen the next day at 8:00 AM with morning orders ready for pick up by 9:00 AM. He invited her to leave a message, her name, and her number and he would return her call first thing in the morning. The recording beeped, and she didn't know if she wanted him to return any call. Still, after the beep she paused for a few seconds, wondering if this was right and what she should say when Rapunzel's words came back to her. "Do it for you," she'd said. So…what did she want her father to know, for her sake.

"Father…it's me, Belle…" she rolled her eyes at her own nervous words and searched for any more she had. "I…I just thought you should know…I thought you should know I'm awake…I'm awake and…and I'm safe and…" She held her breath, deciding whether or not there was anything more to tell him, but in the end, all that came out of her mouth was a sharp "good-bye" as she hung up the phone. That was it. It was really all she wanted him to know. He didn't need to know where she was or how she was living or who she was associated with. But somehow, out of spite or reassurance, she wanted him to know that she had made it out of the curse. She didn't know if he knew she was pregnant or not and she didn't want to leave a call back number, though she supposed he could call her back if he wanted to. All she'd done was what Rapunzel had told her to do, acted for her own sanity. It was just a single small step in a direction that was neither good nor bad. What came next…that was her father's step.

Her next step on the other hand…she looked at the tape sitting at the table where she'd left it. She had wanted him to respect her wishes and stay away and at the same time she'd wanted him to come after her? What was on this tape before her? Was it a step in the right direction? An excuse? A lie?

She was never going to know unless she played it. With a determined huff, she sat back down and put the tape into the player with more force than was necessary before girding herself once more and pushing "play".

His voice came through immediately timid, but still strong. "This is for our little child. A little verse I like.

"Sleep well, by Bairnie, sleep

The lang, lang shadows creep

The fairies play in the munelicht brae

An'the stars are on the deep

"The bogie man's awa'

The dancers rise an fa'

An' the howlet's cry frae

The bour-tree high comes through the mossy shaw

"Sleep well, my bairnie sleep

The lang, lang shadows creep

The fairies play on the munelicht bae

An' the stars are on the deep"

The "little verse" ended abruptly, but still, she waited. The recording wasn't over. She could hear the shallow sound of breath on the recording and was reminded of how she had paused in calling her own father, thinking of something more to say. She felt a lump in her throat as she recalled how she was always fascinated by the fact that Rumpelstiltskin who had lived for hundreds of years and always seemed to know the perfect thing to say could be struck speechless when it came to her and she wondered now if that was what was happening. The verse was for their child but this silence…was it for her?

And then it ended, there was a slight click on the recording, like the sound of a phone being hung up, and then there was perfect silence. Nothing. He'd said nothing to her in the end. She felt herself sniffle as she quickly leaned forward and hit rewind and the play once more. "This is for our little child. A little verse I like."

The words and sounds that followed didn't change with the recording, but she did. At some point, she got to her feet and walked to the window. She smiled to herself as she listened and finally felt the tears she should have felt earlier come to her eyes and begin to fall down her cheeks. It seemed they were both making strides in one way or another tonight.

He had taken a step, but it wasn't toward her and it wasn't toward them…it was toward their child. She could remember, and knew he could to, the words that their son had said to her as well as him in that dream world. She had no idea what he could have done to make their son despise him as he did. She didn't know if it was real or a prediction or just a nightmare like the Red Room…but Rumpelstiltskin surely was thinking about it, about their son and his words. And he was taking a step in the direction that might be able to fix it. Any step toward their child, as far as she was concerned, was a step toward her.

She sniffled as the recording came to an end once more and she wandered back to the cassette player. She hit rewind, sat back down at the table and kept her hands over her stomach as she listened a third time, amazed by how much comfort that voice brought her.

"Your father loves you," she whispered into the air. "We both love you so much." It might have been the only thing they had in common at the moment, the only thing they agreed upon, but she figured that it was certainly better than what they'd had before. If they couldn't agree for the sake of this child, then what could they do?

When the recording ended for the fifth time she finally shut the tape off, found the necklace Aurora had given her, doused the candles, and lay back in her bed with her arms still around her middle, still too hyped to fall asleep.

She'd come to a conclusion without ever thinking that she needed to come to a conclusion. He'd taken a step and tomorrow she would take one as well. She would call him tomorrow, and though she knew he wouldn't like it, she would tell him where they were and that they were safe. From there…who knew where they would go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okey dokey, a couple of things in this chapter, one of them really big. But let's start with the tiny one. The five-month anniversary thing, totally true. When I was writing this episode out I consulted my OUAT calendar and just so happened to discover that it was close to their five-month anniversary at the time of this episode and I decided to use it. I hope no one minds or thinks it is overkill. In my mind it kind of puts things in perspective. Three seasons, six months. Okay, the big thing that I'm sure many people will not like, but I'm going to do my best to explain it, just hear me out first. Belle calls her dad. I did this in this chapter for many reasons. For one, the big one. I am a believer in forgiveness. It is a healthy thing not just psychologically and mentally but physically as well; you can look that up. But I feel like people often misinterpret what forgiveness looks like. They think that if you forgive someone, you automatically go back to the way things are and I don't believe that is true. It is possible to forgive someone, but no longer continue to be in a relationship with that individual, to say "I forgive you, but this relationship is harmful and abusive, and I'm not going to subject myself to it anymore." That is what I wanted Belle to achieve with this phone call. As far as she's concerned, what's done with her father is done. If he wants to reach out and apologize for his actions he is welcome to do so, the ball is in his court, as they say. But she's not going to make her entire life, sitting around waiting for his apology or approval. It's done, she's going to forgive because she wants to move on, but not pursue the relationship any more than this. She called for herself, not her father. There were other reasons I did. One of them is to illustrate something that actually gives me hope. I truly, truly believe that the more you love someone, the harder it is to forgive them. So the fact that she's going to move on from her father, but can't seem to do it with Rumple stresses the level of her emotion toward Rumpelstiltskin. 
> 
> Peace and Happy Reading!


	16. Prisoner of Her Own War

When she woke the next morning, she was pleased to discover that the necklace worked. Not initially, of course, when she'd gone into that Red Room in her dreams she was just as panicked as ever. Until Aurora showed up again. She reminded her she was wearing the necklace, helped calm her breathing, helped her through the fear until the flames drew slowly away from her and the heat seemed to be nothing but illusion. "All you have to do now is wake yourself up," she explained. "It's not as easy as it may seem, especially if you were tired when you went to sleep, sometimes you just have to wait it out in the beginning. Then, other nights, once you are used to it, you'll wake yourself up a dozen times and come back here each time, but eventually, it'll stop. Eventually, you'll dream again."

"I never really remember my dreams…only the nightmares," she explained looking around the pathetic room.

"Well then, I'm sure the morning you wake up with memories of oblivion will be a happy day."

Indeed it would be, but for now, she was grateful for Aurora's necklace and the help that the girl was providing. For the first time since she'd been under the curse she woke not to screams or sweats or a racing heartbeat, but a stomach that was churning in her belly. With a sigh of relief she got out of the bed, found one of the energy bars Rapunzel had stocked for her yesterday, and happily took a bite as she began to sort through…

Suddenly she wished she hadn't taken a bite. She swallowed the lump down just barely but had to open her mouth because the smell of the salt around her was suddenly too overwhelming to breathe in. She stayed still in the seat she was in for long time, afraid to move, focusing every last bit of concentration she had on her body and what she felt like inside. Her stomach hadn't been doing flips because it was hungry. She was nauseous. She felt dizzy and flushed, hot and cold all at once and her stomach felt like she was heaving and going to-

She dove for the trash bin that Rapunzel had left her with. She waited there for a moment for the feeling to come to something, but it didn't. Instead she rested her arm along the rim and her head against her elbow as she waited, her chest rising and falling with quick shallow breaths, sure that any moment she'd be sick. But after several minutes of sitting there on the floor of the cabin she came to the conclusion she'd rather be in bed. She dragged the trash bin with her, made sure her locket was in place over her neck, just in case, and then laid back out in bed, her arm flung over her eyes.

She was never one to really be sick. She'd suffered the normal childhood illnesses that everyone in the Enchanted Forest did, she'd had the flu before, but otherwise she'd been lucky enough to have a very strong system. When half of her father's castle had been struck down by food poisoning, even her mother and father, she had gotten sick too, but never nearly as bad as anyone else and that included her parents. Had that been her nurse's tender hands? Maybe? What had her nurse done to help her? She'd opened the windows, kept the fire going, kept a cool cloth close at hand, given her some broth, and just made her lay still. Most of those suggestions sounded lovely at the moment. But given the fact that she felt as though she couldn't move…

She stayed in bed for a while. Though she never truly fell asleep or visited the Red Room she did drift in and out of only blackness. She tried not to focus on the small motions the tethered ship made in the waves or the smell of the salt water. Instead she felt the blankets below and above her, the pillow beneath her head, and the steady even breaths she forced in and out of her body. She lay there for a long time, but slowly the feeling began to fade away. It wasn't gone completely, when she flung her legs over the side of her bed once more she still felt dizzy and nauseous and lighter in general…but the feelings weren't overwhelming.

Morning sickness, she assumed. But the very suggestion of that had her thinking back to the last time that she'd thought she'd had "morning sickness", the moment she'd been with Zelena. She knew now that wasn't morning sickness. This feeling had been so much more different she knew that then she'd nearly vomited out of fear and sadness, not morning sickness. She'd only been a week pregnant then, it had been too early…

She'd only been a week pregnant then, the sleeping curse had stopped everything completely so she was not quite but closer to being two weeks pregnant now. Zelena had been two months pregnant and never felt morning sickness…should she?

Slowly she dragged herself over to the table and found _What to Expect When You're Expecting_. Books rarely failed her. This one had to have something to say on the matter. Was this normal? Was something wrong happening? Should she-

She was distracted by an odd bang she heard coming not from the deck, but from below. Killian. He must have returned to the ship. She could hear him moving something and walking around. She shook her head to rid her of the distraction and went back to scanning the book. Month One. The common symptoms. She felt her chest squeeze as words she'd already been through yesterday jumped out at her. And with a bite of her lower lip she did what she didn't want to do and paged ahead to the later months where she discovered answers, but far more questions.

She was biting her nails with fear as she read when the noises that she'd heard throughout the ship suddenly came close to her door and there was a knock. She looked up, unable to ignore the voice on the other end. "Belle, it's me, open up, I just want to grab a few things."

She looked down at the book, then back at the door, then concluded she had little choice but to close it and rush to the door. She opened it just as Killian was raising his hands to knock again. A small chest was at his feet.

"Ah, for a moment I worried I'd have to break the door in again. Did you sleep any better last night? You still look a bit…pale…" Did she? Did she look sick? Was that the morning sickness or the fear of the information that she'd just read?

"No, I…I slept fine, I just…" but before she could come up with something to tell him she looked down at the chest and observed the objects inside of it. Some clothes, a deck of well-worn cards, a chalice, a sea shell…

"Are you packing?" she questioned.

Killian followed her eyes down to the chest. "Well…yes, actually. If I may…" he made a motion to the room behind her and she remembered he'd said there were some things he wanted to retrieve. She quickly stood aside and let him pass. He went to the little cabinet across the room and pulled out a small slim wooden rectangular box, a pair of old boots, and a small telescope before walking back to the door and placing them in the chest. "You are about to get the privacy of the entire ship, my lady…Emma asked me to move in with her," he announced with a certain air of pride.

She studied him for a moment before she realized her mouth was open and he was looking at her as if he expected a response. "Really?! That's…that's wonderful." She'd said the words, but it was difficult to drag up the enthusiasm that she knew she should have. Killian and Emma was always a bit of a touchy subject for her. She was always going to love Neal and his love for Emma and Henry, he was gone now, but picturing someone else in the place that Neal should stand was still difficult to say the least. Fortunately, Killian didn't seem to notice. Instead he walked right past her and up onto deck as if their conversation was over.

"So, you'll be leaving right away then? And I can still stay?"

"Course you can," he answered setting the chest down by a pile of other things he seemed to have alright gathered up on deck. "No one will be here, you'll have all the privacy you need!"

Privacy. Considering the last two days she could see strong arguments for why she needed it and why she didn't. Still, rather than privacy, given the state of her stomach, she'd rather have a comfortable bathroom.

"Unless of course you don't want me to go!" Killian commented so suddenly she jumped. "I can stay here with you until suitable arrangements are made if you prefer not to be at sea by yourself."

She only shook her head. That was hardly the problem. "This is hardly 'at sea'," she added looking around the docked ship. "It's fine. You should go, I've been on my own before, and so far Rumple has kept away so…go! You have my blessing."

Killian beamed as he finished putting the small cache of items into the chest and then finally closed it looking proud. "That's everything," he declared looking it over.

She looked at the chest, feeling more than a bit shocked. And she thought she'd left with nearly nothing?! "What? One chest?" she questioned looking it over again. "Well, I guess there won't be many fights over closet space with Emma?"

"Well, the seafaring life doesn't call much for possessions," he explained away simply. "Speaking of, I have something to give you…cause I'm leaving."

Something to give her? Killian Jones give her a gift?

"What is it?" she asked as he opened the trunk once more and pulled out something white. A seashell? The seashell she'd seen earlier? He wanted to give her a seashell? To what? Remember him by? Seemed a bit silly considering they'd-

"It's a bit of mermaid magic," he said as he handed it to her, interrupting her thoughts. "It's how they stay in touch beneath the sea. If you're in trouble, call into that, and I will hear you using this. They're connected." His necklace, it was a shell much like this one only smaller. Mermaid magic…she never would have thought. She'd been around a lot of magic in her lifetime, far more than she ever would have thought possible even after the ogres had first attacked, she knew what magic felt like and this…this felt nothing like magic. It must have been because it was Mermaid magic. She'd have to do some research the next time she went to the library, that was really all she could do since Ariel was gone.

"How clever," she smiled setting it aside. "Thank you, Killian."

"And I thought the captain always went down with his ship…" she turned at the sound of the familiar voice. Rumpelstiltskin. Here? Now? He knew where she was?

"Crocodile…"

Her stomach flipped over in her belly as she realized that him knowing where she was staying wasn't the imminent threat at the moment! It was Killian and Rumple together on this ship. It was what she'd feared when Killian first told her to stay. And he was already taking a step toward him.

"No. Hey, hey. It's okay!" she urged reaching out to catch the pirate before he could do anything that anybody would regret! These two would never make a good pairing! In any setting! Rumple knew that and yet here he was! The tape was one thing, it was to their son and incredibly respectful of her wishes but coming here now, without an invitation…

"Why are you here?" she questioned as soon as Killian was under control.

"To protect you...to protect you both," he muttered.

"The only one we need protection from is you," she snapped back. She didn't know how he'd found her without her call, but she couldn't pretend she was alright with it. It scared her. Why would he do this? Why did he always have to do something stupid right before she was considering reaching out and remind her of all the reasons she shouldn't?!

"Well, I'm afraid that's not the case. Hyde has escaped," he explained. "And since he wants to use you as leverage against me, I have to make sure he can't do that again." Hyde? As in Jekell and Hyde? As in the man that had been imprisoned and somehow responsible for the Land of Untold Stories being brought to Storybrooke? What did that have to do with her? And what did "again" mean? Who was Hyde really? And what had Rumple done to him that would make him want to harm him or her?! It was always something with her husband.

"Why would Hyde care anything about me? What did you do to him?"

Rumple opened his mouth and took a breath. She braced herself for whatever horrible thing he'd done in his past that they'd be paying for now…but before words came out he closed his mouth and shook his head. She felt her anger churn in the pit of her stomach. She recognized that expression from the first days they'd been together in Storybrooke! It was the expression of silence. And while she'd been understanding once, a long time ago and willing to work with him to reveal truths when he was comfortable, now she wasn't. Not now that she knew this was their history, not now that she was pregnant with their child! Now his secrets just made her want to hit something and suddenly she was happy that she hadn't made that call first thing!

"Of course, why would you tell me?" she huffed with obvious irritation. They'd been married! He'd kept secrets and he was still keeping secrets! This was what made her feel no better than any average stranger he met on the street. This was why she had left him. Because it was always the same old story with them, over and over again. Flowers and secrets and lies. "You know what? I don't care. I've got friends who can protect me. You...you can just go," she dismissed. She really wasn't in the mood for his bull this morning. Her stomach was rolling, her anger was boiling! He wasn't helping this situation.

"You heard the lass," Killian commented behind her.

Rumple shrugged as he stared down at her and she struggled not to cry. Why? She honestly couldn't tell at this point. Sadness, anger…

"If you want me to go, fine. But first..." he turned away from her and with a flick of her wrist she felt a magic that was familiar. There was a great sound as suddenly the scenery outside the boat was interrupted by an odd clear reflection that she only noticed because of the white shimmer.

She wasn't the only one to notice it. "What the devil did you do?" Killian asked as he stared around the ship and the shimmer began to fade.

"Cast a protection spell on this barnacle-encrusted heap, one which will prevent Hyde from coming aboard to hurt you...and also make it impossible for you to leave."

Those words were like stones falling into her soul. A spell that prevented her from leaving the ship! She couldn't leave? At all?! He couldn't actually…he wouldn't!

"No, no," as he turned to leave she rushed after him. But as he carried himself over the gangplank she found that she couldn't. Her hands found something solid and the air around them shimmered with that same bluish white hue that she'd seen only moments ago! He…he'd done this! He'd really done it! He'd trapped her! She felt anger rise up inside of her as she realized in all their time together he'd never done anything to her this horrible! Lock her in rooms? Sure, he'd done it when she'd arrived at his castle. Kept an eye on her and tracked her movements? Of course. But actually lock her in one place and claimed it was for her own good?! The man who was supposed to be her husband?!

Only her father had ever done that to her!

"H-h-how dare you?!" she screamed at him. "You can't just lock me in a case like one of...one of your objects!"

He spun around when he was back on the dock and looked up at her, his eyes filled with pride and sadness and something more…something dark. "Apparently, I can. One day, you'll thank me for it," he added as he walked away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo, okay, we are finally at one of the episodes that bother me the most. And I know with that I am bound to lose a few of you and don't worry I totally understand. I considered for a long time if I even wanted to write this fiction, or if I just wanted to move forward with 6B, but that stupid little voice in the back of my head had to say "so you're going to write all of the show but leave out 10 episodes?" Obviously, I moved forward, much with the thought of "just rip that band-aid off and get it done". So if you don't read, I will totally understand because I think if it were me, I'd skip this episode, and this fiction, too.
> 
> Thank you to Taisch for the comments you have left me. I've really appreciated them! I don't usually do this on AO3, but over on Fanfiction, I got two guest questions that are fairly important and easy for me to answer so I wanted to take the opportunity to address them here as well. First question, I was asked why Belle doesn't know about the Evil Queen yet because it doesn't seem plausible. Trust me, I'm aware she doesn't know and when she finds out about it (in a couple of chapters) the phrase "why hasn't anyone told me this before" comes to mind. I've said before, I have to carefully consider where and how Belle gets her information. The heroes have only known that the Evil Queen is back for about an episode and a half at this time. But this season there is a very clear cut-off between the heroes and Belle. The only hero that she has come to close contact with is Hook and most of the time on screen we have seen him with Emma, it's been hard to find time to write the two of them together. As for coming to tell Belle, when I tried to plot that out, it didn't seem plausible. For one thing, like I said, this season there is a distance between Belle and the heroes and I could easily see why they didn't tell her. The Evil Queen is back to extract the revenge Regina never got. That anger is aimed toward the Charmings. I assume they haven't exactly printed a story about it in the Mirror because they are trying to avoid unnecessary panic. They know the town isn't in danger (at least at the moment), just them and for the Evil Queen on the lose the town doesn't exactly seem to be in panic mode. I assume the Charmings are only giving away this information on a need to know basis. So why haven't they told Belle? Because they haven't been telling or interacting with her for this season. And they assume that the Evil Queen is back for them, not her. I don't think they actively sat down and said "let's not tell Belle", I just don't think it dawned on them to run off and tell her when they had no need of her. Harsh, but it leads me to my second point-Belle's behavior suggests that she doesn't know about it. I find it hard to believe that if Belle knew about this in 6x03 then she wouldn't have said something like "any news on the Evil Queen?" when David came to visit. And if she did know, as in the past I would expect her to be working with the heroes, doing research in the library, helping to solve the problem, not sitting on the Jolly Roger reading baby books. My proof of that is 6x07, I believe, when she found out about the water her first step was to help. So, no, Belle doesn't know yet but it is coming in the next few chapters. And I have laid some groundwork for it. Rapunzel, for example, mentioned the sword fight on the dock a few chapters back, but like the town wasn't given full details of what happened, she only heard rumors. As for why Rumple hasn't told her, I actually thought that was one of the few things the show made clear. He doesn't think she is at risk. He's made his deals with the Evil Queen and that happened the minute he found out she was there. He believes that what he's done is keeping her safe. So trust me, I have gone down this rabbit hole and tried to find the best most logical place to let her know and it is coming, with an explanation, in the next few chapters, but timing for it was the most important thing. Goodness that was a long answer, I'll answer queestion two in the next chapter! Peace and Happy Reading!


	17. Illness in a Time of Hate

She had been angry a lot in her life. She'd felt it as a child, each time she was told she couldn't do something. She felt it as a teenager when she realized that her parents planned to marry her to Gaston. Her anger had bubbled when Regina took her as a prisoner and yet again when her father had kidnapped her and when she'd discovered Rumpelstiltskin had kept secrets from her. But each time she'd felt that anger it had been one of many emotions in her head. Anger with sadness. Anger with understanding. Anger with hysteria. Anger with confusion. The way she saw it, there were a lot of reasons to feel anger. But she had never, not once in her life, experienced anger this powerful, anger coupled with no other emotion than itself.

As she watched Rumpelstiltskin, as she screamed his name, telling him, demanding he release her, she felt her entire body shake. Anger pulsed through every fiber of her being and she picked up the heaviest thing she could and threw it at him while he was still in range. She didn't care if it hurt him, or knocked him to the ground, or even if he got angry at her in return. She just wanted to hit something, to make him come back here so they could scream and yell and maybe for once in their poor excuse of a marriage finish a fight like normal couples did!

But before the object collided with his head there was a plume of black smoke, and the Dark One was gone. The bucket she'd thrown clattered against the wooden dock, and she let out a scream of rage she'd never felt before! Then, feeling suddenly exhausted, she collapsed against the side of the ship, pulled her legs up against her and sat her hands on top of them. Her nails dug into her flesh as she cried but she couldn't bring herself to loosen the grip.

She'd been held prisoner before. Frankly, she'd been held prisoner more times than she could count! But this time…this made her angrier than she'd ever been about it in the past because he knew better! He knew better than anyone did! Her father had never trapped her in a tower, but he had trapped her into relationships she didn't want to have or participate in. He was her father, though she disagreed that he knew best he was older than her. Rumple had held her captive in his castle, but she had a tendency not to hold that against him for she had gone willingly. She had no one to blame then but herself. And Regina…Regina had held her prisoner for longer than any of them. She'd held her prisoner for so long she still had trouble forgiving the Evil Queen for that incident, no matter how different Regina was now. But Regina had been an enemy then, someone she absolutely detested. Rumpelstiltskin on the other hand…

Who had held her in the beginning? Who had comforted her each and every night when she woke screaming from the nightmares she'd had?! Who had ensured that he was going to protect her, make sure no one ever held her captive again?

It had been Rumpelstiltskin. Her lover, the man that she'd married and was having a child with. The one and only person that she was supposed to feel a sense of equality with, the only person where experience or title didn't matter and placed neither of them above the other. Now he was her jailer. This was a betrayal of a different type. She'd never felt this kind of anger before in her life.

"Belle! Belle!" she finally looked up to see Killian crouching with her by the side of the ship. She wasn't crying. She thought she was, but she wasn't. Now that she had picked her face up she found the tears that she'd felt were not on her face or even in her eyes. How was it possible to cry without tears? Killian looked her over sympathetically, as though he wanted to ask how she was, but very wisely didn't. "I'll call Emma," he said instead. "She needs to know Hyde is loose and the Crocodile has trapped us."

"Not us!" she insisted a little too forcefully. "Just me! I imagine you are free to go at any time." She wasn't angry at Killian, he hadn't done this, but she heard the acid in her voice and hated the sound of it. What was he turning her into? What would he turn a baby into?

"Well, nevertheless, I'm not going to just leave you here defenseless at a time like this. I'll stay until the spell is raised, how ever long it may take." He looked like there was more he wanted to say to her, but instead, they just locked eyes, stared for quite some time and then he got up, grabbed his phone and wandered away. She could have spent the entire day sitting there, angrily stewing, but the baby inside of her would not let her do that. Her muscles were tense, her belly contracting and flexing and it wasn't until she realized that she didn't just sound like acid but that she was tasting it as well that she knew something was wrong. She was afraid to put her head out over the ship of the deck, for fear she couldn't and so she rose, quickly ran back over to her compartments, hovered over the trash can, and waited. And waited. And waited. And waited…

She stopped fighting her own stomach after a while, hoping it would happen, wondering if she'd feel relieved when it did. But nothing happened. Nothing except for the taste of bile in the back of her throat. She had to be careful, she had to calm down. Her body was not just her own anymore, she needed to stay healthy for the little one growing inside of her. She looked over at the food Rapunzel had brought her to keep her happy while she was on board but she knew exactly what she wanted, exactly what she needed to stay calm. Since she couldn't leave the damn ship to very well get it herself…

She wasn't sure how she managed to calmly and peacefully pick up her phone when all she was seeing was red, but she managed to place a call to Rapunzel. "Remember when you told me to call if I needed anything?"

She hated this feeling like she was taking advantage of her friend, sending her off to do errands and chores that were not hers to do when she was already running the library in her stead…but what choice did she make. She lay on her bed as she waited for her to arrive, preparing for Killian to come in any second to tell her what he knew. But he never did. She lay there, clutching the blanket so tight her knuckles turned white and clamping her jaw shut so that it hurt her to open her mouth. Part of what bothered her so much was how much she needed him to come back in order to remove the spell. As far as she was concerned she never wanted to see him again! Yes, she had loved him. She had loved him more than anyone in the world and when she'd gone to bed last night she had still loved him but now the fire of anger was burning that love, starting at the very fragile edges and working its way inward. How could she have a child with a monster like that? If he had no qualms about this what would he do with his son?

"Special delivery! Chicken Noodle soup, extra broth, extra crackers, extra…whoa…not in a good mood. Again. How is it that happens every time I walk in here?"

"It's not your fault. The morning started badly and just keeps getting worse…"

She invited Rapunzel to sit as she opened the brown paper bag from Granny's and started to sip some of the broth and nibble on the crackers timidly. It didn't exactly settle her stomach, but it didn't seem to make her any sicker either.

She told Rapunzel the story as she ate, every last sordid terrible detail that had occurred since they'd met for dinner last night. And she was pleased to see her friend didn't take it well either.

"He locked you on the ship?!" she burst out with disbelief and wide eyes.

She raised her eyebrows and nodded, trying hard not to get her anger up though her heart was already racing. "Yeah. Hyde can't come aboard, and I can't leave. It's his way of keeping us apart."

"Pretty extreme way…"

"Yeah, well…that's my Rumpelstiltskin. It's either all or nothing…there is no in between, no discussion, no comments…his way or none at all…"

"Wow…" Rapunzel breathed beside her. "How long will he keep it up?"

She shrugged, wasn't that the worst part of it all. "I imagine until Hyde is captured again, but who knows with him…he's the Dark One." She grit her teeth again as she watched the soup in her spoon fall back into the container. The broth was good. At the very least it was giving her something else to concentrate on and get her nerves settled. She was sure it was nothing physical, but somehow she knew anger like what she'd felt a little while ago couldn't be good for their son.

"Soup not helping?" Rapunzel questioned knowingly.

She shook her head. "It's fine…" she muttered taking another bit out of the crackers.

"I uh…I assume you didn't sleep well again last night?"

"I slept fine. It's just when I woke up…I don't really feel well. I didn't even before this."

"Morning sickness?" she assumed.

Morning sickness…she felt her stomach turn over again at just the reminder of the words she'd read that morning and put her hand on her belly. "That's what I thought, but I checked the book, and it says it's too early for it, that it usually doesn't start until the sixth week at the earliest. I'm only in my second week with the curse. I think…I don't really know what to think anymore."

Rapunzel opened her mouth, but before she could say anything she stopped and turned to the door. She hadn't even noticed that Killian had come back up the stairs. "Who are you supposed to be?" he questioned, looking her over with suspicion.

For a moment she thought this was a very strange question, she thought everyone knew who Rapunzel was, Snow White did, after all…but then she recalled how they'd met her and that Killian had not been in the castle with them, not when Rapunzel had been found, not ever. And when she and Killian had been working in the library to free the fairies…Rapunzel usually wasn't around. They'd had a much fairer work schedule then as Rapunzel had still been living with her parents. That meant Killian genuinely had no idea who this woman. No wonder he was looking at her like she might be either a friend or a foe.

"Killian this is Rapunzel!" she introduced quickly. "We met her in the Enchanted Forest, and she works with me in the library now. She replaced Ruby. She's my friend and responsible for…all this…" she explained motioning to the room.

"But I better be going," she added quickly rising and gathering her things. "Flynn is at the library alone, and he doesn't particularly like it when I leave him in charge. Hey…you know…" she sighed as she looked Belle over before leaving. "I could talk to my mom if you like. She's been pregnant twice before, and sometimes experience is better than a book. She might have some ideas for you."

In the midst of everything, she couldn't say that she disagreed or had any better ideas. "Alright," she muttered. "Thanks..."

Killian hollered out that it was nice to have met her as she left but she didn't hear Rapunzel respond as he sat down on her bed. Why hadn't she remembered to make it? "Not feeling well?" he questioned.

She nodded. "And this situation isn't helping," she muttered taking another sip of broth and daring to have some noodles with it. "What about you? Your conversation with Emma was longer than I expected."

"Yes well…I found out a lot and yet not enough. The plot thickens it appears."

That certainly didn't help her stomach.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okie Dokey! Question number two! The timeline. Fair warning, this is going to be long. I was asked how I can be sure that my calendar was accurate because six months seems like not enough time. Let me explain a few of the methods to my madness and let me assure you, it is madness. When I say that I want to be accurate with Moments, I've done some crazy things to make sure this story stays accurate. When we saw the map of Maine and where in general Storybrooke was, I spent an entire afternoon matching things up and finding a city close to Storybrooke so that I could record month by month weather patterns to make sure things stay on track and remarkably enough, they do! I've been keeping track of the calendar since just before season 3 aired. I actually have a calendar that I created in word document, a grid with dates, months, days of the week, etc. Before season two premiered we had A&E tell us that we should assume that a year passed for each season, but toward the end of season two it was clear that wasn't the case. So I watched the episodes and put the calendar together and have been keeping track ever since. How do I keep track? Well, oddly enough, clothing is one of the most concrete ways to keep track of the days. If someone is wearing the same thing over a couple of episodes it's clear that is all happening in one day. Day to day stuff is a little bit more difficult, but my biggest evidence for that is logic and thinking "how long would it take for them to get from one event to another". Chances are if something happens at the end of one episode and the reaction is shown at the start of the next episode, that is a day to day occurrence. If one episode ends with the Evil Queen threatens all of humanity at night and the next episode begins with the Charmings are in their apartment saying "what are we going to do about this", then I have to assume that it's day to day because the alternative is "eh, no biggie, let's go home and ignore this for a few days". I also take into consideration when Henry is in school, weather patterns, and social events. So far, things have kind of fallen naturally into place. According to my calendar the Camelot stuff took place from mid-July to mid-September, so when everyone said "doesn't Henry go to school anymore?" the answer was yes, he does, but it's summer break. I have Belle's departure to the Underworld taking place toward the end of September, there is snow on the ground, yes, it is extremely early for that, however, it is not unreasonable. The record low for that area in September is 19 degrees which means that while snow would be an oddity, it is possible. This would also mean that Henry's Homecoming is Friday, October 11th which is about the right time for a Homecoming in that area. There are a couple of things that dispute my timeline, but they all have answers. Weather is one, why are people wearing jackets in the middle of summer? But I think that could be one of the reasons they made it in Maine? It's always a little cool there. Average temps for June-August never go above 76 degrees and the lows are in the 50's, which is cold to me at least. I'd wear a jacket. Henry's age being mistake actually doesn't pose much of an issue and is easily explained. The first time it is disputed is in Camelot, Henry says he's 13, but according to my calendar he's only just celebrated his 12th birthday. Easily explained...he's talking to Violet. I don't know about you, but when I was growing up "13" was the magic number. I looked older than I actually was and when I was 11 and 12 I used to tell people who had young kids I was 13, so they would trust me enough to watch their kids. It doesn't seem out of character to me that Henry would lie about his age to impress Violet. Another issue is the Black Fairy calling him 14 in 6B, which is way off. That can be explained by saying that she obviously doesn't when Henry was born so she's just going off of what he looks like. And as far as his looks go, again it's plausible. I work with kids, I've seen 11-year-old boys shoot up and have their voices deepen in a matter of weeks so that they look like they are in high school. Is it typical? No. Is it plausible? Yes. And when putting the calendar together "plausible" is what you really have to go for. So, according to my calendar, it's October 2013. Any early and that means that Belle is leaving for the Underworld in August which does make the snow impossible as the record low is only 37 degrees. Any later and that means Henry is having homecoming close to Thanksgiving. Is my calendar 100% accurate down to the day? No. Of course not. I add time when I can and I'm sure that distorts it some, but considering how difficult it is to find those spots I can add time, the distortion isn't a lot. By my best guess, I'm probably accurate down to one or two weeks. 
> 
> Peace and Happy Reading.


	18. A Lot To Swallow

It was more than difficult to keep up with everything that she was learning. Not just what Rapunzel had told her when she first woke up, but everything that Killian told her made her head spin.

Emma already knew that Hyde was free. Apparently, someone had stopped by her place first thing that morning and informed her that someone had left a gift for him in his room at Granny's, a gift that no one other than Hyde would have known would hurt the man. The man's name was Jekyll. Jekyll and Hyde...they were real too.

The others were able to confirm that Hyde was missing from the staff of the location he was being held prisoner: The Asylum. She shivered at the thought of that place, but looking around her latest prison, she wasn't exactly sure this was much better. A prison was a prison no matter whether it was a lush bedroom in a palace, a ship at sea, or a small cell.

But, nevertheless, Emma was already on Hyde's escape. She had rounded up her father and Regina and they had retreated to the place Jekyll was using to protect himself. What an odd thing. Hyde was free and she was in trouble as well as Jekyll? When she thought of the story it just didn't make sense...at least not the story she knew!

"I…I don't understand, Jekyll shouldn't be in danger and he's not exactly an untold story, I have three copies in the library. Who are these people exactly?"

"Bloody hell, you don't know who Jekyll is?" Killian gapped.

Her eyes went wide as she shook her head and felt small. "I know who they are from my books but-"

"I doubt what's written in their tale is anything like what we've experienced with them. They are the reason all this really happened," Killian explained. "Look, when we got back from the Underworld the people from Camelot wanted to go home, and Zelena had that power. She opened the doorway to send them back, and it closed, but then something else happened."

"Right…Rapunzel told me you went to the Land of Untold Stories."

"Did she tell you what happened there?"

She shook her head with frustration. If she knew that then she wouldn't have so many questions. "She told me she didn't know it all. She's not as connected with you all as I am. She only knew rumors she'd heard around town."

"No, I suppose not." Killian sighed and then began to spin a very long, very confusing tale for her. It was a tale that still didn't answer all her questions as it seemed like there were a dozen different things happening all at once while she'd been asleep, but it did answer a few questions for her.

When he, Zelena, Charming, and Snow White had arrived in this Land of Untold Stories the wand was broken, seeking a way to restore it and get home they met someone tending to the flowers outside. He'd seemed like a normal gardener who had volunteered to help them, but they soon found that wasn't the case and they were caught. They met the Warden of the land, a cruel man certainly interested in Rumpelstiltskin though he wouldn't tell them why. He kept them in a cage but much to their shock eventually the gardener turned up once more.

"We never saw them together; it was always one without the other. It was only later we found out why. After Doctor Jekyll had freed us we learned that he'd created a serum, one capable of separating one's good side from their bad. The Doctor had used it on himself and-"

"Let me guess…Hyde was the result." Killian nodded, and she smirked. This was the part she knew, the part that her story in the library depicted. Though she had to admit that she never really appreciated the name "Hyde" until now…it sounded as though he was named after all the things Jekyll had wanted to keep hidden.

"The serum, according to him was incomplete. They still shared a body, and he was looking to destroy his evil side not let it loose on others. While we were with him, he showed us a certain flower he was sure would complete the serum. It did seem to change it in some way, at the very least in color only."

"But it didn't do what it was supposed to do?" she questioned. This was all new information to her.

"What happened next is a bit of a challenge, it all happened so fast, I still have trouble remembering the sequence." According to Killian, someone came into where they were working and force fed the doctor a blue serum like the doctor had before the flower had been added. Jekyll had told them to run and they had but Snow White and Charming wanted to go back. After Jekyll became Hyde he took the red serum and they finally succeeded in becoming two.

"It didn't destroy the wickedness in Jekyll it just banished it."

"I suppose in a manner of speaking," Killian shrugged. "We escaped them though, returned to New York with the help of Emma and Henry with Jekyll and in return he gave us the serum he had left. I didn't even see him take it, but it's what Regina used to rid herself of the Evil Queen, or so we thought of course."

She practically stumbled as she carried her trash to the can. "The Evil Queen?!" she shouted. What was that supposed to mean? Regina rid herself of the Evil Queen? Or so they thought?!

"Oh bloody hell, don't tell me you don't know about that too."

She sighed as she tried to contain the anger still pulsing through her. She'd hate to see what her doppelganger might look like or even do now! "I just woke up from a sleeping curse that I spent a week in! I missed a lot! I'm still trying to put it all together! Don't tell me-"

"Alright, alright, I…see your point," Killian eased. She took a seat as he explained more of it. In New York, afraid that after Robin's death her darker side would once more get the better of her, Regina had used the serum to separate herself and then crushed her own heart. If it were a book, it would have made a lovely metaphor, but in reality, the Evil Queen had survived and thrived. They'd only just learned that she was here in Storybrooke a couple of days ago, reeking a new kind of havoc though clearly not one that included her or anyone that she knew!

"How have I not heard any of this?" she muttered to herself. She'd been in town, she'd seen people; how had no one thought to tell her that the evil version of Regina, the same one who had held her prisoner for years, was up and walking around?! Was she just lucky she hadn't seen her yet?

"Well, it's like you said, it's not like you haven't had your own fair share of worries over the last few days."

"More than I can handle!" It was true, but it still seemed like someone could have at least told her. She wondered if Rumpelstiltskin knew about this? He might be capable of protecting her, and she knew he would but…to not tell her at all! She hoped he didn't know for his sake.

"But…" Thinking of Rumpelstiltskin, not just of his latest deeds, but his words as well had her thinking about something else entirely. What he'd said before, before he'd put the spell up…

"I don't understand what any of this has to do with me. Or Jekyll for that matter? He's already free of him so why do both of us need protecting?"

"Well, Jekyll hasn't stopped working on a serum that will destroy the counterparts. Now more than ever it's important he finish it so we can destroy Hyde and the Evil Queen."

"What does that have to do with me? And…how did Hyde get here if you didn't bring him? Rapunzel just said he invaded."

"I'm afraid that's all I know. He showed up when we returned from New York proclaiming the town was his. If Gold owned the place before, then he must have turned it over."

Yes, but for what. Rumple never gave anything for free. What did Hyde have that he had wanted so badly? And why was he still coming after her? She knew more of what was going on now, but so much of it was still a cloudy haze she couldn't navigate. And it didn't escape her notice that a lot of the missing pieces all revolved around a secondary key player. Rumpelstiltskin. Clearly, there was history between Hyde and her husband…but he wouldn't tell her. No, why would he? She was only his wife. What value was she to him? He didn't want a partner or true love…he wanted his Darkness and it was obvious to her that was what he would be getting.

"You know, you look a bit pale, is there anything I can get you?"

She grit her teeth together and struggled to do, clearly, what Jekyll and Rumpelstiltskin couldn't or wouldn't do: keep the rage within her tethered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There now, see. I told you the big explanation was coming and that there would be a lot of "why haven't I been told this before?!" on Belle's side. This was a very difficult chapter to write, even today I was still checking it for inconsistencies. It was also really difficult to place this because trust me, I wanted to have her learn all this early on, but it just didn't fit. Not with the characters, not with the storyline, not with a lot of things. It had to be here. I know some won't believe me, but I'm sorry, this just is what it is.
> 
> Thank you to Taisch for the comments you left me. It really means a lot! Thanks for continuing to read! Have a great weekend everyone, I'll see you again on Monday! Peace and Happy Reading!


	19. Sides of Good and Evil

She was doing the best she could to keep calm, to not call him up and scream at him just because it would make her feel better. The truth was that she knew he wouldn't release her, even if she begged, which she was not about to do. She would not beg for a liberty and right he had taken away from her. She was better than that, and he was better than this but so long as he continued to be less than she knew he could be…

She let out a small noise and eventually dragged herself up off the chair that she'd been sitting at and began to make herself busy. Or at least she tried. Typically when she needed to keep busy, she cleaned, but she had nothing to clean with in this place. She could try to tidy up…but she and Rapunzel had done a wonderful job yesterday of putting everything in its place. Almost everything. The books were still everywhere and unsorted. That was a place to begin. There was something like shelves on the other side of the room, and she made herself busy putting them where they belonged or at least where she felt they belonged. It wasn't much of a library, but it would have to do until she could get back to her own.

Killian watched her silently, keeping his thoughts to himself as she fiddled. He could tell that she was upset and probably could have taken an accurate guess as to what was bothering her if he wanted to, and she knew that he did. But he didn't. She had to admit that she was bothered by the fact that he'd chosen to lounge on the bed as opposed to the chair. She wanted desperately to make it so that it was presentable for company, but she managed to keep her eyes on her work and ignore him. It was his bed after all. She might have been sleeping on it at the moment, but it was his long before she came along. If he was comfortable, then she'd deal with it.

"Are you sure I can't get you anything?" Killian finally questioned behind her. So much for keeping his opinions to himself. "Could always crack open a bottle of rum…if you thought it would help."

He was trying to be helpful in a difficult situation, but it was just…a bit too much, and she rolled her eyes at him. "I'm pregnant, remember?!" Honestly, she knew it was necessary to drink alcohol in their world, even when pregnant, but even she knew that here it was not a good idea here, not when there were other options. He had to have heard that too!

"Oh yeah," he groaned almost miserably. He was obviously not used to being held against his will, as she was. He wasn't doing well as a caged animal. Maybe she should just dismiss him. Hyde couldn't get in, though she wanted little to do with Rumple at the moment she knew that he couldn't hurt her anymore than he already had!

"I know…and I'm…I'm fine!" she practically shouted as she moved away from the shelf. But she wasn't fine. Quite the opposite, actually. Her stomach wasn't exactly settling and her nerves…

"Hello!" a voice called before she could get words out. Killian was off the bed in a flash staring at the door just as she was. "I-Is anyone down there? Oh, you are." A man she'd never seen before entered the cabin, wearing a long overcoat and holding a black bag of some kind. His glasses were rounded and delicate looking. He didn't really look at her, but seemed relieved to see Killian, though the pirate still looked defensive. "Thank goodness you're here," the little man breathed.

"And the question is why you're here," Killian growled looking at the man with suspicion. "Shouldn't you be in the lab completing your serum?"

Serum…this couldn't be…Jekyll?

"Th-that's just it. I did," she small man responded looking rather scared. "And then Hyde found me and destroyed the lab."

"But what happened to the serum?" she demanded. She was only just barely managing to keep up with everyone, but she knew the completion of that serum and destruction of Hyde was essential to her liberation.

"The Dark One took it," he responded. "Apparently he has some arrangement with the Evil Queen." She fought very hard to maintain her composure at his words. He'd taken the serum? And he did know about the Evil Queen. What on earth was he doing out there? In her name? In their son's? "Emma's looking for the Evil Queen."

She really didn't entirely understand what was going on. With Rumple, with the Evil Queen, with this man…but she knew looking at Hook exactly what was going through his mind. Emma taking on The Evil Queen? The darkest part of Regina…that couldn't be good!

"Go!" she urged. "Go. Emma needs you. We'll be all right. We've got Rumple's spell to protect us."

"Thank you, Belle," Killian breathed before stalking out of the room and leaving her alone with the odd man…Jekyll. And she'd thought Rumple had been odd looking when she'd first met him…this man…he wasn't just strange; he looked the part as well.

"So," he sighed after a moment of awkward staring. He set the case he'd managed to bring with him down and took a seat at the chair Rapunzel had used. "You're Belle, the, uh, Dark One's wife!"

Suddenly she was aware all over again of how dusty it was and that her bed was unmade. This room was okay for strangers but guests that were going to look at her like that? She hadn't gotten stares like that since she'd been freed from the asylum. People looked at her with looks of utter amazement, confusion, and the smallest hint of disgust and fear. That was the look she feared most her son would get when he was born. Would people always assume they were like Rumple just out of association?

"I'm, uh... I'm sorry for any…harm he's caused you."

It was a heartless apology; she knew it was. It was difficult to apologize when she was still playing catch up and trying to figure out what was going on. Who was this man and exactly how was he connected to Rumple?

"I appreciate the sentiment," he answered nonetheless and…was he crying? "But sentiment won't bring back Mary."

"Mary?" she questioned with a mix of fear and interest. Just how bad was this? What had Rumple done to this woman? "Is she someone you loved?"

"With all my heart...until Hyde destroyed that love." She held in a sigh of relief. Hyde. Not Rumple. But then…that didn't tell her why Hyde was coming after her?

"You know…my mother always said that a nice cup of tea could warm a darkened soul," she muttered looking over at the hot plate. "Would you care for some?"

"If you wouldn't mind," Jekyll answered.

She nodded. Serving she knew how to do quite well. She set the water upon the hot plate to boil, then cleared away the table for the tea set Rapunzel had brought to her. The silence in the air was palpable. She had never been one to need conversation, but something about this man just made her feel odd and perhaps even a bit awkward. It made her skin tingle uncomfortably.

"So, Mary, she was…your wife, then?" she assumed as she watched him. Why did it take forever for the water to boil?

"Oh, no! We never got to that point in our relationship. I had hoped, of course, that we might have one day but then…Rumpelstiltskin," he sneered with angry tears that she could more than relate to at the moment. "I'd been looking for the way to make my serum work. I wanted to help people, you see. My patients were suffering, and I believed that I could help them, but I could never quite get it right. And then Rumpelstiltskin came along. He gave me what was necessary to make it work but…I wish I'd never allowed him to help!" the man spat.

"Help?" she questioned with confusion. "What, he didn't want anything in return?"

"No…just said he was interested in what I was doing. I didn't know the serum would transform me into Hyde. I didn't know I'd have no memories of what he did. I didn't know…I didn't know that Hyde would be just as interested in Mary as I was…"

Well…she wouldn't say it out loud but that made sense to her. It was one of the few things that did! Hyde and Jekyll were two halves of a whole. It made sense they would share things like infatuation. Just because one was dark, that didn't go away. Though it was sad to her because she knew what it was like to be in love with someone dark. She knew that not ever dark relationship carried the respect of body. What had Mary encountered in Hyde, exactly?

Finally, the teapot began it's long low whistle and roused her from where she'd been sitting. "Whatever happened..." she commented grabbing it so she could put it in the teapot she'd placed on the table. "Whatever Hyde did to Mary, I'm, uh…sorry." That time the sentiment had been genuine. True Love…she was so tired of it being difficult for so many people. Including Jekyll, even if she didn't know him well.

"If only she'd been strong enough to resist Hyde, she would be  _mine_."

She felt her stomach knot up at that word, the word he'd spat in a way that reminded her so much of Gaston and the way he'd often viewed her. A prize to be won, not an engaging woman capable of making her own decisions.

"Yours?" she questioned gently, almost feeling guilty for thinking such a thing about this man. He was upset. That much was clear. He appeared as though any moment now he was going to burst out into tears. Maybe she shouldn't have made such a big deal about this but…wasn't…wasn't Hyde coming after her because of what Rumple had done? Jekyll loved her too? That made sense if Jekyll and Hyde had been together but then…he couldn't possibly be as unstable as Hyde, his evil half…could he?

"I mean, we'd...we'd...we'd...be together," he tried to excuse. But her stomach was in knots again, and she had a feeling that this had nothing to do with morning sickness. His tone had caused it. His tone and that look in his eyes. Hadn't he just said he blamed Rumple? Hyde might have done something to the girl, but he wished he'd never dealt with Rumple. He saw her husband as responsible.

"Yeah…"

Suddenly she felt her hands begin to shake and her feeling of discomfort increased. She had a feeling, nothing but a feeling, but still, a feeling nonetheless that she wanted someone else here with her and what was more she had the feeling she didn't want him to know that she was uncomfortable or calling for help.

She could call Rapunzel, but her phone was on the other side of the bed.

There was always the shell, the one that Killian had given her…that was by the hot plate, maybe if she timed it right…

"Oh, let me...let me get some sugar for you."

She walked back over to the little table and set the kettle back on the hot plate, there was the shell, right where she'd placed it by the sugar. Now she just had to make a plea for Killian to come back. Subtly. Quietly.

She reached out and grabbed it so that-

She gasped in surprise at the hands that were suddenly wrapped around her wrist. "Whoops!" Jekyll exclaimed in a taunting voice looking down at her from behind. "You weren't getting the sugar…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was actually a pretty difficult chapter to write, just movement wise. This scene, while one of the ones we saw in the episode, went back and forth between present and a flashback. In a later scene, it was pretty obvious that Belle knew more than what we had seen her be told in this scene but not much. I tried really hard to get the information right and the tone of voice. Also to explain a little bit more why she thought she was in danger, because that just didn't make sense to me. Saying "mine" means he thought she was the prize, but that doesn't necessarily mean danger, it could just mean he was a misogynist jerk. So I tried to add a little bit more of a thought process in there to make her reaction work a bit more. And as for Jekyll's character...I think I got it, but it's difficult to say. Good thing I only need to write about him for a couple of chapters.
> 
> Big thank yous to Taisch for the comments you've been leaving me. Really, this is a very difficult fiction to read, I know because it was probably the most difficult in the series I've ever written (And I didn't think it could get any worse after ME&U). Thank you truly for your support and for sticking with me in this process! I really hope that you'll enjoy what I have planned for the next fiction! Peace and Happy Reading!


	20. A Close Call

Whatever anger she'd felt only a second ago melted into fear faster than she would have ever thought possible and suddenly she didn't care how subtle or insulting her assumption was, she wanted someone else on this ship right now! But when she tried to take the shell back from him she found his grip was firm and he was far from willing to turn it over.

"Killian, help!" she screamed hoping that some sound of it would get into the shell and reach Killian.

But Jekyll seemed to have figured out her plan. They barely struggled before the shell was forced out of her hands and smashed on the cabin floor!

She and Jekyll seemed frozen for a moment staring at one another. She didn't understand why this was happening, just realized very quickly that she needed to get out of this room and somewhere safe and away from him! But he was between her and the way out. She had no weapon but she did have…the seashell!

Jekyll made a move seconds before she did but she was faster. She found the jagged back half of the seashell, the one with the pointy end, and before he could turn around with whatever it was in his hand she forced it into his shoulder. His legs buckled and he cried out but she paid neither it nor the feeling of what she'd done no attention. She didn't know if this was Jekyll or Hyde or both but she had to get away from this man! She could be squeamish later!

Fast as she could she ran up the stairs and over to the side! Somewhere she heard Rumpelstiltskin call out her name. He was here! She was saved, she just had to get off this-

She couldn't do anything. At the side of the boat, she felt herself collide with something that she couldn't see, something that shimmered as she touched it.

The barrier.

The spell that Rumple had put on the boat to keep her here! It was still up!

"Rumple!" she called. "Lift the spell!"

"I can't!" he cried back.

She felt her heart hammer so fast she thought she might collapse from a heart attack. What did he mean he couldn't?!

She didn't have time to consider it! There were footsteps behind her and she turned to see this once scrawny looking man emerge from below. He'd recovered from her ill attempt to stab him and was coming for her. He didn't seem scrawny anymore. He seemed monstrous. And she didn't know what the object in his hand was…but it looked heavy. It looked like it might be painful if he hit her with it and that was all she needed to know to move.

"No! Get away from me!" she cried trying to step away from him.

"I didn't come all this way to stop now!" he growled. "After all, when I heard you were trapped aboard this ship, I couldn't believe my good luck. Finally, the chance I needed to make the Dark One pay!"

"Pay?! Pay for what?" she begged. "Please I don't understand! My…my baby!"

He ignored her frightened stuttering and pointed the odd baton looking thing at her. She did her best to get as far away from him as possible but had the strangest sensation it wouldn't help.

"No, please, please don't do this!" she begged.

But he clicked something on the baton and heard an odd high pitched note and humming coming from it. This was…not the end!

Like some kind of Dark White Knight she held her breath when she saw the head of someone approaching her. It was Killian. He'd got her message! Out of breath, he quickly pressed his finger to his lips and she backed even further away from the monster before her!

Killian struck. He quickly pummeled the man on the head and then pointed his sword at his now exposed neck. "That's quite enough of that!"

She didn't know exactly what she was feeling. It changed depending on who she was looking at but all she really needed to know now was that she wanted so desperately to cry and let the emotions out. She did her best to hold it in as Jekyll reached out for the object that he'd grabbed. Something like lightning shot out from it and she gasped, fearing the worst for Killian only to find that he'd dodged it!

What happened next happened too fast for her to really perceive it.

Jekyll ran at Killian.

Killian blocked the attack. He kicked the man.

Jekyll fell back and off balance and then…he stopped.

She gasped at the violence, sensing something terrible had happened but it took her a moment and an extra step to realize that he had been impaled on some kind of harpoon-like structure right through the center of his chest. She stared back in horror and relief.

Jekyll stared down at the rod he was implanted on then reached for it as if he might actually try to pull it free.

Killian stepped forward, preparing she assumed for whatever might come next if he managed to free himself. But nothing did.

The man began to gasp and then make choking sounds and she realized that he was dying.

Finally, her world began to widen again, and she could see beyond the danger that had presented itself to her. Up on the docks where Rumple was there was more movement. A man had been with him. Tall, dark hair, also looking like he just didn't belong in this world…he'd fallen to his knees, then to the ground dropping something in the process. And-

There was a small groan in the ship next to her and she gazed not upon Jekyll…but his body. Blood trickled out of his mouth and onto his neck. He was finally dead.

She stood in shock and horror and Killian didn't do much better. "Are you alright?" he asked looking around at her and then over her.

She'd seen death before, in fact, because of the Ogre Wars she'd seen death far worse than what this man had suffered, and yet her stomach give a twist and turn like it had when she'd woken up. She put her hand over her mouth and tried to calm the feeling as she had all morning. But it didn't calm. Her mind spun as she found Rumple, holding whatever object the taller man had dropped. Regina ran up to him. Killian was examining her with more and more interest asking her another question, but she couldn't hear it. All she was left with was dizziness, the sound of blood rushing through her ears and a heave and-

"Oh!"

She shook her head and ran back down into her cabin, only just barely making it to the trash can in time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry ya'll, I feel like this chapter is a disaster. I feel fairly confident in what I did with it, it was just one of those scenes that didn't translate well from screen to paper. The action sequences never seem to. And I'm sorry it's so short, but to be honest I was pretty sure that there would be more like this. I thought a lot of this episode would translate into small chapters but I was happy that this was the only one that came out dramatically short.
> 
> Fair warning the next chapter is "that" chapter. We all knew it was coming. Deep breaths. Let's all just gird ourselves and get through it...on Friday. Peace and Happy Reading!


	21. The Product of Pure Anger

She sat in her room for a long time after she'd finally been sick. And though she was loathed to admit it, she did feel better almost instantly. She didn't know if it was the morning sickness or the shock or a combination of both, but her stomach ache was nothing but a memory fading a little bit more with each passing second as she stared around the cabin. She had no idea what was going on outside. She heard voices, of course, but she didn't rise to see who was around or where, just kneeled down on the ground and began to pick up the pieces of the shattered shell. Her hands shook as she added the bloodied half that had gone into Jekyll. She'd never had to be purposely violent before. She'd always been able to work her way around it or have someone defend her but she'd never had to actually defend herself in such a way. Gaston, the one death that still haunted her, she had only ever intended to push off course, not into the River of Souls, but Jekyll?! She didn't regret what she'd done, she knew that she'd have done the exact same thing a million times over if it meant keeping her baby safe, but that didn't change the shock of it all.

At the doorway, she heard a sigh and glanced over her shoulder to find Rapunzel. "Well…you just can't seem to catch a break, can you?"

She stared up at her in surprise. "How did you-"

"The pirate tracked me down at the library and said you might need a friend. It's a mess out there right now but…at least I finally met Emma. Interesting girl, that one."

She didn't acknowledge the comment, just shook her head in irritation at herself. "I'm your boss and I feel like all I do is drag you away from work!"

Rapunzel shrugged as she knelt next to her to help pick-up. "As your employee I can assure you I don't care. As your friend, I really don't care. You need me more."

"Oh don't touch that!" she exclaimed grabbing the trash can away from her. "I got sick, I haven't thrown it out yet."

"I don't mind-"

"I do!" she exclaimed swiping it out of her reach again. She stepped away from the mess and took a few deep breaths. Her sickness was ebbing, her anger on the other hand was beginning to grow once more. She leaned against the door frame, amazed that it was getting quiet on the ship again. "What's going on out there?"

Rapunzel sighed and she heard the squeak of one of the chairs as she sat. "Most of it is gibberish to me. Apparently Jekyll had completed some serum or other and Regina and Rumpelstiltskin were going to use it but he took it first to kill Hyde, somewhere in there was a struggle and Hyde got the Dark One's Dagger."

She let out a soft crazed chuckle. That wasn't gibberish to her. That was everything making sense and her anger becoming far more controlling. The Dagger. That stupid, precious, pain in the ass dagger! Hyde had control of Rumple and wanted her dead. He hadn't had to do the murder himself with Jekyll on board, he just had to watch and force Rumple not to lower the protection spell he'd placed upon her, the protection spell that had done the opposite and trapped her in her cage with the man who wanted to kill her! And for what?! Not because she'd done anything wrong but because he loved her. Because she was where he kept his heart and soul and to murder her would take away her life, their child's life, and his soul! All because he was the Dark One and couldn't keep his nose out of other people's business for his own good.

But at least the dagger was safe! At least he'd taken that back as she assumed that was what the man, Hyde, had dropped and she'd seen him pick up. So long as his precious curse was intact and he had his magic what did he care that they'd almost lost their child today?! What did he care that if Killian hadn't come along, she'd likely be dead right now?!

"The good news is that Hyde is dead. He died when his doppelganger did, which, judging by the way that Emma said it, is significant somehow."

She nodded. Yes. Yes, it was very significant, but not really helpful given their current state. The natural conclusion was that the evil double could be destroyed only when the original was destroyed. They knew how to destroy the Evil Queen, but the cost was Regina. Rapunzel was right, this was a mess.

"I'll have to explain it all to you, but I'm not sure how up to it I feel at the moment," she muttered looking back over at Rapunzel.

"That's alright, we'll talk about whatever you want to talk about. You can tell me tomorrow."

She loved Rapunzel, she loved how strong she was and how certain and calming…but at the moment she wasn't entirely sure she was up to talking. Not that there wasn't anything to talk about, she was just certain it would turn to screaming quickly. "Just uh…just let me get rid of this first alright," she explained gesturing to the trash can still in her hand. Rapunzel nodded in agreement and told her she'd sweep up while she was gone to make clean up easier. She went back onto deck, hopeful the walk to the trash can would give her some fresh air…but she stopped in her tracks at the sight of Rumpelstiltskin on the docks.

He was looking at her, watching her from a distance, but even though she couldn't see his eyes she knew that look. Now he wanted to talk to her?! After her life was safe?! She almost turned on her heel and went back down into the cabin, but before she could she felt that wave of anger bubbling up and over. It wasn't that she didn't want to talk to Rapunzel, it was just that she wanted to scream at Rumple.

Leaving her trash on the ship, she descended the gangplank, not even allowing herself a sigh of relief when she realized that she was permitted to leave again! She was free. That was great. But she never should have been imprisoned to begin with. And-

She nearly tripped as she came back on land. It was the first time she was on solid ground and not something swaying and shifting beneath her and the feeling was odd but it wasn't as odd as the sight that had nearly stolen her breath.

He'd cut his hair. His long beautiful hair, the hair she always loved to run her fingers through…it was short now, not much longer than David's! Had it been like that before?! Yes. As she replayed her terrible memories of that morning she realized that it had been, she just hadn't realized it. And she nearly cried at the change! She'd always loved his hair! But this…this wasn't the man that she knew. This made him look sharper, harsher, more evil in a way. Oddly enough, she felt like it made the anger flowing inside of her easier to have. Now it wasn't just a lack of emotion and mentality through which he failed to resemble the man she loved. Now he no longer looked the part either.

She stood her ground as he came closer to her. He looked like a child, one who knew that he'd done something wrong and yet he just couldn't seem to muster a look of remorse for it. He still looked smug.

"You cut your hair," she pointed out as he came closer to her and her heart beat wildly in her chest. She was trying to find some sense of patience decency but she could feel it fade away the longer they stood together.

"You noticed," he commented with a small amount of surprise that she didn't really seem to think he should have.

"I would have earlier, but you were too busy trapping me," she answered back with that same acid tone she'd had with him earlier. Only this time it was worse.

"Well, I'm sorry, I-I just wanted to um…to make a fresh start," he suggested, but she had no interest in anything he was saying.

"I don't want to hear it." For the first time she understood the phrase "no love lost" and she didn't mind it. She was angry. And though she was above throwing something at the back of his head this time, she wouldn't deny that she wanted him to feel the same kind of hurt that he'd made her feel. He'd taken advantage of her in the worst way a person possibly could. He was supposed to be the one person on earth that she could trust above all else and at the moment he was the absolute last person she knew she could rely on. It was as if he'd reached inside of her, scooped up the little love she had left for him and tossed it off the side of the ship when he'd made that spell. He'd nearly killed her. And he had killed others.

"You know, you've destroyed two lives where there used to only be one. You just keep finding new ways to increase the suffering around you, don't you?"

"That was never my intention," he replied gently.

"Well, then what was your intention?!" she cried back. "Why did you go to Jekyll in the first place? What could possibly be worth all of this death and destruction? I'm trying to understand Rumple, but there is only so much I can take when you tell me nothing! Why?! Why did you do this?"

His face bore no trace of remorse, but she could finally see the look of a pained man on his face and knew he'd either tell her now, or she'd never-

"You," he answered softly. "It was all about you. I sought him out when you became the maid in my castle all those years ago, because I had begun to have feelings for you...and I thought they would make me weak."

She tried to breathe, to contain her temper but it was getting harder, back to the same old story! "A-and you thought what…that Jekyll's serum would rid you of those feelings?"

"I'd hoped," he muttered. "But the experiment was a failure. In anger, I took his precious necklace and sent him to the Land of Untold Stories, but it didn't solve anything. And I'm glad that it didn't...because I would never want to lose the love I feel for you."

Love! Now he was talking about love?! After what he'd just done?! "You locked me on that ship like a prisoner. Did you even think about what would have happened if Jekyll had succeeded, what would have happened to our son?"

"I was only trying to protect you."

"I don't need your protection, okay?" she hissed! She didn't want him to ever protect her again, not if this was how he was going to do it! "Not at the cost I keep paying with you. God, you didn't...you didn't cut your hair for me. You cut it for you, because you are sick and tired of looking at the man in the mirror. But you forget...I always see you for who you are."

"Yeah…" he whispered as he turned to walk away. She felt no pain watching him go. The words were harsh, she knew they were, but what he'd done to her was worse than those words and she didn't regret a single one of them. She always saw his light and his darkness, the man and the monster. It broke her heart that he would continually choose the monster over the man, the monster over her and their family, but it was clear that was what he was always going to do. As far as she was concerned she never wanted to see him again.

"No, um..." before she could go back onto the ship he turned suddenly and saw a spark of something in his eyes that he hadn't had for a very, very long time. Anger. "You may not think that you need me, Belle, but you will," he warned coming closer than before, ignoring every sense of personal space she had. "You forget whose child it is you're carrying. He will have a mark on his head by virtue of who he is, and if you want what's best for him...you will come back to me."

A threat. So this was what they were reduced to now. Nevermind who had put the mark on their child's head, nevermind the idea of romance, or kindness and consideration. Now it was love and stay with me or else. Her father had tried that on her when he'd wanted her to marry Gaston…he should have known she never responded to words like that.

"Threats won't make me love you again, Rumple," she pointed out, not daring to back down.

"No," he agreed. "But necessity will."

And that was it. With that final promise, he left her standing there on the dock, her hands over her stomach, feeling like there must be smoke coming out of her ears. She had no idea what had happened to her beast, what he'd done in getting his curse back, but she knew that was not the man that she'd loved. And if he was so desperate that he wanted her out of desperation or necessity, then that was not the man that loved her either.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Um...so, I have a lot of feelings about this chapter and this scene in general. But I'm constantly reminded that words hurt and so do my opinions and I don't want to be responsible for wounding someone over a fictional couple on a fictional television show. If anyone wants my opinions, they are welcome to send me a private message, and we'll discuss it. But for now, I'm just going to keep my opinions to myself and do what I do best and continue to write.
> 
> Peace and Happy Reading!


	22. Friendly Insights

Needless to say, she wasn't terribly surprised that she didn't sleep well that night. In all fairness, it was probably silly of her to think that she would. There were a million things passing through her head.

She hadn't really eaten anything for the rest of the day. After she had dismissed Rumpelstiltskin, or been dismissed by him, she wasn't really sure which it was, she had told Rapunzel that she was tired, that she just wanted the world to stop moving for a few precious hours and let her rest. She could see that she'd been upset by that, but she took her leave anyway and told her she'd see her the next day.

She wasted away the day in that little cabin, and most of the night as well. After Killian had left, despite arguing that he wanted to stay one more night for her, she pulled on Aurora's necklace, lay back in bed and stared at the ceiling nearly all night. Her anger, the terrible fire she'd felt burning in her soul since her husband had locked her on the ship, was finally leaving her for good. She could almost feel it. The tension she'd had began to smolder and turn to ash that simply floated away as she laid there. Leaving her back, then her arms, then her sides, and finally her belly. What she was left with in its wake was fear.

She was surprised it wasn't more, shocked really that she wasn't losing sleep over his threats and petty ideas of what love should and should not be. No, it was what he'd said about their son that scared her.

What Rumpelstiltskin had proposed to her was not a new thought. She knew that she'd had those ideas long before he'd actually voiced them but before they were filled with anger and she hadn't really focused upon them. Now, alone in a dark pirate ship, she was finally giving them the attention she should have long before now.

He was right. She hated to think it, but he was. How many people had come after her, sought out some kind of harm against her, because of him?! Regina, her father, Killian, Zelena, now Jekyll and Hyde, she figured. And those were just the ones who had been successful. He'd been worried when she first came to Storybrooke about people who might seek to harm her because of him, when Pan and his shadow were in Storybrooke he had kept a close watch over her, the Snow Queen, Hades…all people that he had worried about coming after her no matter the status of their relationship. This town was filled with lives that had been ruined in some way or another by Rumpelstiltskin's deals. Deals they took, she admitted, but deals they all seemed to blame him for just as Jekyll did. As long as she was in Storybrooke as long as she was attached to Rumpelstiltskin, as long as he still had feelings for her…her life was in danger.

But it wasn't her life that worried her the most. It was their son's life. She could detach, she could run, get a divorce, go live in New York City just like she should have done nearly a month ago…but Rumpelstiltskin would always be the father of their child. The son of the Dark One. That wasn't something that could be outrun. It was the truth. Her relationship to him had been chosen and she could choose to change it. Their son could not be undone, he could not choose who his father was-she'd done that for him.

What was his life bound to be? What would their lives be like together? Would it always be there? Dodging one evil after another, constantly saving her child from those who sought out to hurt his father? And what about his relationship with his father? That was something else to consider. Rumpelstiltskin loved others perhaps stronger than she did. But with his curse that love was warped and twisted into obsession, selfishness, and fear. What if what had happened yesterday happened ten years down the line? Would Rumple lock their son in his room or his house to keep him safe and unknowingly expose him to danger? Would he hide the truth from their son the way he did from her? Yes, the relationship between parents and children was different and she understood that they couldn't know everything about their parents, but…if Rumple had only told her what it was all about before he'd imprisoned her on the ship she might have known to also be cautious with Jekyll! And it wasn't even about the secrets it was about the lies. If she tried she could count on one hand the number of times that he'd been completely upfront and honest with her when she or the situation demanded it of her. Otherwise, every time he told her he wouldn't lie to her, it was always a lie.

Again, she wondered what Neal would say if he were here. Would he say that it was a difficult relationship but one that was worth it in the end? Or would he say the opposite? That growing up with a father dedicated to the Darkness and constantly lying about his loyalties was not the best relationship? What could be done about it if he did? Whose side would he be on?

When morning came, and she realized that sleep had never come she got herself together, determined to make this day better than the last. But as she was making the bed, she felt it again, that terrible feeling in the pit of her stomach that made her feel like her insides were being turned inside-out. And the salt water…did it always smell this bad?

She waited for a few moments hoping it would pass, thrilled when it did, and then got dressed, wrapped a shawl around herself to protect herself from the cold morning and left the boat. Her stomach was still rolling, but she had no interest in spending the entire day on the ship that had just been her prison. Instead she walked into town, breathing in the cool air, doing the best to settle her discomfort. Even as she walked toward the library she avoided looking into his shop, or even at it. She was certain he was there. She knew his habits too well and she knew that she wasn't just his heart and soul, she was also his home too. Without her he would become for hermit-like, treating the shop more and more as his domain. He wouldn't eat, he probably wouldn't sleep, he'd tinker through the night on some project or other and then only return to his home to shower and change in the earliest hours of the morning before coming right back where he could keep an eye on the world. There was little doubt in her mind that he was there now and although it made her skin crawl with curiosity she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of looking this way and seeing her glance at the shop at just the right time. At least not out on the street.

The moment she got into the library, Rapunzel stared at her from the front desk in surprise. "Belle! I didn't expect to see you here today!"

"Well," she sighed wandering aimlessly around her favorite place in the entire world. "I did promise you I'd tell you what I knew and…I had to apologize for yesterday. You came to my rescue again and I was…rude, to say the least."

Rapunzel shook her head. "You were tired and stressed."

"I was rude," she corrected quickly.

Rapunzel stared back at her for a moment then finally nodded her head in acceptance. "Apology accepted."

"So…" she muttered going into the reading room and looking carefully through the blinds at the shop. The lights were off, but that didn't exactly mean he wasn't in. "Any word or movement from next door?"

"Not a peep. How are you feeling?"

"Tired," she answered. "I didn't sleep well last night and my stomach as is still-"

"Breakfast time!" she jumped as Flynn came into the library carrying bags from Granny's.

She opened her mouth to greet him but the smell coming from the bags was suddenly everywhere. It made her gag. She put her hand over her mouth but felt her stomach wretch again. And again. And again until-

She tore off into the bathroom, happy to at least not have to empty anything herself this time and put the little that was in her stomach into the toilet. Outside she heard Rapunzel and Flynn arguing over something she couldn't make out, though she assumed it was her when Rapunzel opened the door and she heard her hiss "just take it upstairs and get some toast!"

She shook her head as she rested against the seat. "I don't think toast will help."

"Neither do I, but it gets him away and busy for a few minutes."

She heard Rapunzel go to the paper towel dispenser and then to the sink and soon enough she felt something wonderful and cool placed on the back of her neck and she smiled. "My nurse always used to do that for me when I was sick."

Rapunzel chuckled. "Mine too. Did it ever work for you?"

"Always."

"Me too! I guess nurse really did know best."

She nodded, happy that it was working this time. She didn't care if it was mental or if it was just the aftermath of being sick, all she cared about was that she was feeling better. Slowly she got to her shaky feet, rinsed her mouth out with water, flushed the toilet, then she collapsed into one of the chairs behind the circulation desk.

"So I guess that means your stomach still hasn't settled," Rapunzel assumed sitting up on the desk in front of her. She shook her head. She wished it would have, but no, it clearly was not an isolated incident. "Well, I talked to my mother yesterday, she had a few words of wisdom if you're interested."

"I think I'd take cave drawings of wisdom at the moment to be honest."

"Well, to start with she told me to tell you to talk to your mother if you could. Apparently in the Enchanted Forest she was always told that daughters get certain things from their mothers and depending upon how difficult their mother's pregnancy was that would be how difficult their pregnancy would be. But…I told her I couldn't be sure…but you'd never mentioned a mother."

She shook her head. If she wasn't feeling so awful at the moment she supposed that she might actually feel sad or left out that she couldn't talk to her mother about how her pregnancy was or even that it had never come up! But all she was really focused on at the moment was breathing and making sure the room stopped spinning.

"I don't have a mother," she answered matter-of-factly. "She died before the ogre wars and I ever met Rumpelstiltskin."

"I…had a feeling. In that case she wanted me to give you her phone number so you can call her any time with questions. She wrote the number on the back of…well…she dropped this by for you last night…"

When she looked up Rapunzel had plucked a small business card out from the desk and was attempting to hand it to her. The way she looked as he did made her stomach twist all over again. For a moment she debated if she needed to run to the bathroom again, then reached out to examine it. On the back in black pen were the words "call me any time" followed by a phone number. The front, she saw, was-

"An appointment card?!"

Rapunzel nodded. "I didn't know she'd done it until last night, but she said that here in Storybrooke it is very common and very important to see a doctor when you are pregnant, to check for problems and to make sure everything is developing the right way."

Just the suggestion of a doctor made her cringe. "Yeah…I don't really do well with doctors. I was held prisoner in an asylum in the hospital for twenty-eight years and then stayed there again when I lost my memories…hospitals never seem to work out for me."

"Okay…we're going to have to unpack all you just said in a minute, but just…hear me out first. This isn't a normal doctor, my mother said she was her women's doctor…apparently, they have those here."

"I didn't know that," she muttered looking the card over. But apparently, Lacey did as the word "Gynecologist" popped right into her mind before she even saw the words on the card. Lacey had no memories of them, but she had bad feelings about them.

"I didn't either but my mother explained it all to me and told me to tell you it's important you go. For the baby."

She sighed as she looked the card over. The thought of setting foot in that hospital, even if it wasn't for her, usually brought her right to the edge of a panic attack. But if it was for the baby…

"This if for tomorrow afternoon," she commented looking the appointment card over carefully.

"I'll go with you if you want. Or my mother. You don't have to go alone, they'll let you take someone with you. My mother said it's usually the father, but anyone you need to support you is welcome."

She sighed as she looked the card over one more time. Go back to the doctors tomorrow? If it were for her it wouldn't even be a question! She'd rather go to Granny's than back to that place. But for her son? For professional answers about this early morning sickness…that was worth a second consideration.

"I'll think about it," she concluded as Flynn walked into the room with two pieces of toast, butter, jam, and all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okie Dokey, remember a few chapters ago when I had Rapunzel pop in just after Rumple locked Belle on the ship? I said that the chapter slowed things down but it was necessary for one particular reason? This is it. In 6x05 Belle goes to the doctor to get her ultrasound, in fact, she declares "it's time for my first ultrasound" but the thing is, it's not. Women do not get their first ultrasound, usually until week 18-20. Doing it earlier than 12 weeks must be done transvaginally and docs don't really like to do it unless there is a risk in the pregnancy. There is no way that Belle is 12 weeks pregnant much less 18-20 weeks for reasons we've already gone over extensively in a previous chapter. So, for the scene in 6x05 to happen, I needed to create a reason for it to happen. That chapter, as well as this one, begin it.
> 
> Thank you to Taisch for the comments you left on the last chapter. I know it wasn't a fun one, but I appreciate you all reading. It means a lot. Peace and Happy Reading!


	23. Secrets and Lies

It was an odd feeling to be apart from Rumpelstiltskin. Not because she missed him, not at the moment. The sting of what he'd done to her yesterday, the threats he'd made, were still very fresh and she was happy to be away from him. But not being connected to him as she always had carried side effects. For once, she was finally on the outside looking in. Life was very clearly moving around her. The town was on their guard. The Charming family, as always, was working to keep the town together and solve the problems that she assumed the Evil Queen had set before them. But this time she wasn't part of the adventure. And she couldn't help but be curious as to the strange series of events she was observing from a far.

It started that afternoon. She'd stayed at the library through lunch, until her stomach calmed and she found comfort in doing work with Rapunzel as she told her all that she had learned the previous day. Together, from what Rapunzel knew and what she knew, they were able to put together a nearly complete picture of what had happened in Storybrooke and the Land of Untold Stories while she was asleep. Some parts of the story she assumed were lost to her. She'd probably never know, given her current situation with her husband, how he had made his deal with Hyde, for what, or even how Hyde had gotten here and they wound up in the Temple of Morpheus. As for what happened in New York, some day, when things were less complex, she'd have to talk to Henry or Emma or even Regina and try to put that puzzle together, but clearly, that day was not in the near future.

The ringing of the phone at the circulation desk interrupted their conversation just as she was getting to the part about the Evil Queen being on the loose. As she continued to sort books Rapunzel proclaimed she'd get it and picked up the phone simply stating "Storybrooke Public Library, this is Rapunzel." What followed sounded like a happy reunion of sorts as she squealed "David?! Is that you?! Yeah…yeah, I'm working at the library now! Great! Things are great! I haven't seen you guys in months!"

The "David" on the phone, she could only assume, was the only David she knew. The happy reunion made sense. In the Enchanted Forest David had been the one to rescue Rapunzel and bring her back to the castle. He had been a safe and friendly face in the castle and she always thought they'd treated each other like brother and sister. On one hand, it was difficult to swallow the fact that this was the first time they were talking, but she could easily recall a conversation with Snow White in the Underworld where the Queen had stated that she hadn't thought of her since the ordeal in the castle.

For a moment, she didn't pay the conversation they were having any heed, it wasn't until she heard Rapunzel say "yeah sure, what can I do to help", that it dawned on her that this conversation was not something that happened to Rapunzel every day, obviously. She listened as she went to the counter with the computer and did a few clicks and checks as she watched the screen before concluding. "Uh…nope, no record of anyone by that name in the system. But let me double check, just one second…hey," she moved the phone aside and looked over at her, "do you remember anyone named Aladdin ever using the library?"

Aladdin? As in Arabian Nights? She shook her head "no" and Rapunzel quickly told David that there was no record of him and if he ever stopped by then he must have stolen somthing. They chatted for a few more moments before David had to go and she told him to stop by and visit some time. "What was that about?" she asked as Rapunzel hung up the phone.

She only shook her head. "Just someone Emma's looking for. He didn't say why, he just said he wouldn't have been surprised if he did steal something, apparently he was quite the thief in his time."

"So was Will…it's a shame they sent the Merry Men back they might know where to find him."

Though she itched to call and offer her help, she resisted by looking at the amount of work that had been piling up in the library. Rapunzel was great, but the library was always better when they worked together as a team and it had clearly suffered from her absence…again. So instead she stayed into the afternoon when she took her bag and her appointment card down the road to Granny's ordered some dinner, and began the trek back to the ship.

That was when the second phone call rang out in her bag. One look at the screen and she shook her head, wanting even more to know what was going on. "David, hey, I'm sorry, Rapunzel told me you were looking for Aladdin but I haven't-"

"Oh no that's not who I'm looking for anymore. But hey it was good talking to her, I'm glad she found something that worked out!"

"Yeah," she sighed picking up on the language he'd used. "I'm sorry…are you looking for someone else now?"

"Yeah, Archie. I talked to some people in Granny's who said that he gave you his card the other day. I didn't know if maybe he was at the ship and the two of you were talking."

She felt her stomach flip over in worry. "Archie is missing?" she clarified.

"He…didn't turn up somewhere that he should have. But I wouldn't worry about it yet, we just saw him this morning and the dwarves are probably just jumping to conclusions. You know dwarves."

"Well, do you need help? Do you want me to call anyone or look for you?"

"No. Thanks for the offer, but it's not necessary at this point. We'll let you know if anything changes though."

She assumed nothing changed. She watched her phone throughout diner, as she read her book, while she let herself into the boat house to shower, and no call ever made it to her. It was dark when she finally walked herself back to the ship, intending to send a text message to David or Snow and ask if they'd had any luck and had simply forgotten to let her know, but she was surprised to find someone on board when she crept back onto the ship.

"Killian?" she questioned looking at the familiar shadow walking up on the mast. He didn't react to her questioning. "Killian!" she called putting her hands to her mouth. Finally the shadow stopped, waved, grabbed a rope, and easily slid down to meet her on the deck. She took a step back at his arrival and muttered a quick. "Impressive."

"Hardly anything spectacular," Killian dismissed. "I once knew a man who claimed to have fought Davy Jones himself during a Maelstrom. That would have been impressive, if I believed him of course."

"What are you doing here?" she questioned. "I thought you were living with Emma now."

"Aye, but hundreds of years on the sea has given me a very particular sense of smell. You might not notice it, but there is a storm coming and I just wanted to check on the old girl," he explained giving the mast an affectionate pat.

"Funny, I was about to check on things with David, it sounds like everyone had a very interesting day"

Killian shrugged. "You could say that."

"Did you find who you were looking for?" she asked, suddenly aware that Killian wasn't making eye contact with her, but instead looking out over the sea.

"Aladdin, yes…Archie…I believe David and Snow are still searching."

He was distant. His gaze firmly on the blackness over the bow. She would have thought that he was judging something or trying to read the clouds, but she saw very little reason for that, given that he already knew the storm was coming. "Killian is something wrong?" she questioned carefully.

Killian continued to stare for a while, opening and closing his mouth several times, before taking a deep breath. "You, I imagine, are more familiar than most with lies and secrets in a relationship."

She was a bit shocked at that admittance, but also somewhat taken aback. She cleared her throat and crossed her arms over her chest, suddenly feeling defensive. This was a topic she didn't even like discussing with Rapunzel. "You imagine, right," she answered simply. "Do you think Emma's keeping something from you?"

"No, not anymore," he explained gently. "She was this morning, but Archie appeared, before he went missing, and told us she was keeping something from us he encouraged her to tell us her secret."

"In front of everyone? That doesn't sound like Archie; he's usually more…thoughtful."

"Well, I'm glad he did it…turns out Emma was keeping a secret from us, secrets of visions in which she dies."

"Dies?!"

"Fighting a mysterious stranger under a hood, aye. Apparently, the vision was given to her by an Oracle sent to show her the future, hers. Supposedly Saviors don't last long."

"Saviors don't last long…you mean they-"

"Die, yes. The hooded figure kills her."

That was a lot to swallow. This and Archie and then… "So…where does Aladdin come into all of this?" she questioned as carefully as she could, aware that Aladdin clearly wasn't what was bothering him but had to be important to all of this if they'd spent the day looking for him.

"Aladdin is a Savior," Killian declared.

Her jaw dropped. "A Savior? Another one?"

"Aye, Emma wanted to find him to see proof that Saviors do live. We thought he was dead but it turns out he was just difficult to find. He's very much alive, but without his magic. He's not a Savior anymore."

She was struggling to see the trouble in all of this. Was Killian upset about the lies? Or about Aladdin, because that seemed to be good news! It meant that Emma could live, she could get rid of her magic and live! She wouldn't be the Savior anymore but…magic didn't make a person who they were. Emma didn't always have her magic, and she'd been great despite that. She could still be a savior…just not the Savior.

"Well that sounds good," she muttered. "You and Emma can have a long happy life together."

"Aye, but…how do we live with the lies? The secrets we have from each other?"

So it was the lies that were bothering him. That was perfectly acceptable. She could live with a lot from Rumpelstiltskin, but more than anything it was the lies she couldn't stand.

"That's simple," she answered watching the storm roll in. "You don't keep secrets."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short and sweet. We know Killian went back to the ship at the end of 6x06 that night and I figured that it would be silly not to have him run into Belle, so I wanted them to have a conversation about the events of the day for a couple of reasons. First to just catch Belle up again. I'm trying to at least give her a general knowledge of what is going on, though I am happy to admit that it is difficult. This seemed a perfectly valid way to do this. Second, because I wanted to introduce Hook and give the hints about what is going on there. This is after he has hidden the scissors from Emma, so there is obviously some guilt there. 
> 
> Peace and Happy Reading!


	24. A Case of Nerves

The little trinket that Aurora gave to her did wonders. That night when she dreamt of the Red Room again, she'd panicked at first until she found it hanging around her neck. Like a friendly reminder, the conversation she'd had with Aurora about it came flooding back into her memory, and she was fascinated to find that once she calmed down, she could put her hand right over the flames, and feel no pain or even heat. As soon as she did that she was stunned to find that the flames around her died, they shrank until they were almost nothing. The odd little platform remained, but the room didn't smolder.

Across the room she caught a glimpse of a familiar face, looking around the place with triumph. "Well done," Aurora muttered.

She tried to wake herself up. Aurora tried to instruct her, but it seemed that even in sleep her mind simply wouldn't release her from her former prison. All she really had time to do was sit there with Aurora and chat amicably about pregnancy until she started to feel what she'd felt before and realized she was waking up on her own.

When her eyes opened, she was back in the Captains Quarters of the Jolly Roger. The ship was swaying back and forth and from the clouds outside she could tell that Killian had been right. There had been a storm in the night, but she hadn't felt it because…

As if on cue, she felt what she didn't know she was hoping she wouldn't, that familiar lurch in her stomach. She hadn't eaten anything yet and this time she knew better than to get up. Instead she just stayed there, on her bed trying to breathe. One breath, then two, then three then-

Oh it didn't help!

Quickly she snapped out of bed, grabbed her trash can, and vomited into it. When it was over she pushed the can away and lay back on the wooden floor, breathing again.

Three days in a row. Three days when she wasn't even two weeks pregnant thanks to the sleeping curse! The book, Zelena, Rapunzel's mother, even Aurora in the Red Room just now, they all said that she shouldn't be feeling this sickness yet. Was her body just tricking her? Was it just making her think she was sick? If that was the case it was doing an excellent job of it.

She shook her head as she gathered up the dirty trash bag and set it outside her door before returning to bed, her fingers moving absent-mindedly over the pendant around her neck. She shouldn't be feeling this yet, just like she shouldn't have felt it in the Underworld unless…unless she hadn't been wrong. Unless Hades had sped up her pregnancy. Or at least started to speed it up. She knew of certain ways that could be achieved in this world and knew Hades certainly hadn't used any of those methods because she'd had nothing to eat or drink there, much less from Hades, but he wasn't exactly a normal sorcerer with ordinary magic. And Zelena had said herself that if he wanted to do it then he could! So then…was it possible?

Looking around the little room her eyes landed on the bag she'd had with her yesterday, the same bag with the appointment card inside of it. She didn't need to check it to remember that it was for not long from now, just after lunch. The thought of going to the hospital made her skin crawl but…she placed her hands low on her stomach and drew another soothing breath. She could and would endure a lot for this baby. In fact, she already had. And if she was going to raise him here in Storybrooke or even just the Land Without Magic she knew there were standards that had to be held to. She couldn't avoid the hospital forever.

And so, a couple of hours later she finally got herself up and out of bed. Moving slowly, she called Rapunzel and told her she was going to take the appointment her mother had made for her. Her friend asked if she wanted her to go with her and she thought carefully about such an offer but in the end decided it was best if she went alone. Someone had to man the library, and she felt guilty enough pulling Rapunzel away from work as often as she did anyway. She'd go alone, but the determination she had didn't help the feeling she had when she hung up and looked down at her phone, her fingers automatically finding the name "Gold" and hovering over the number to his cell phone. It was his baby, if anyone was going to go to the appointment with her, it should be him.

No. The very image of him being anywhere near her right now nearly made her sick again. She was not ready to forgive him for what he'd done the other day and certainly not for what he'd said. Maybe someday, but it wasn't today. If she was as alone as she felt in this then she better start acting like it.

So, she showered in the building next door, got a jacket for warmth, grabbed her things, and went to the doctor's office. The walk alone had her heart hammering and the image of the building when it finally rose up in front of her nearly made her want to turn and run away without a second thought. But this wasn't for her. It was for her baby. She could be brave and do this for her son.

Inside she showed the card to the woman at the front desk, who never took her eyes off the computer screen in front of her, just handed her a clip board with a stack of papers on it and emotionlessly told her "take a seat, fill these out, when you're done we'll take you to see the doctor."

She wasn't herself. That much was very clear to her. The way she moved, the way she was acting, the way that she kept her head down and tried to avoid the looks of the staff as they moved around her…she didn't feel like she usually did. She followed orders and took the papers to a corner of the waiting room with a pen and filled them out as quickly as she could, but she was surprised just how small paper work could make her feel. She didn't know half of the information that was asked of her. Name, birthday, phone numbers…that was easy enough. But height and weight…the date of her last period…previous medical conditions…she didn't have a clue what to put for half of those, she wasn't even sure she was supposed to keep track of them! She had kept track of her cycle once upon a time, but obviously if she'd been better at doing that she wouldn't be here now!

She put those questions aside and answered what she could to the best of her ability and then…emergency contact information…she was supposed to choose someone they should contact for her if she couldn't. She felt her stomach twist again as she looked over the place that the name, number, and relationship were supposed to go. The way she saw it she had three options. Rumpelstiltskin, Rapunzel, or her father. She wasn't about to list her father and leave decisions about her up to him. So…Rapunzel or Rumpelstiltskin? On the one hand, this was Rumple's baby, and she had no need or desire to come back here after it was born but on the other hand, she didn't trust his judgment for her at the moment either…

With a heavy heart, she filled Rapunzel's contact information into the lines and then slowly walked to the counter to turn the form in where the woman at the computer finally picked up her head and nearly jumped. "Oh! Mrs. Gold! I'm sorry I didn't realize…" she looked around the waiting room for a second, as if expecting to see someone else there with her. "I'll…I'll get these submitted right away so we can call you back. Are you…expecting anyone else, by chance?" she questioned carefully, with the smallest hint of fear in her voice.

She remembered that feeling. She remembered those looks. It had been a couple of years since she faced them, but she still knew them better than anyone. It was the look of fear by association. Though she didn't know the woman, it was clear she knew of her and who she was married too. And she was looking around the room to make sure he didn't come into the hospital next.

"No, it's uh…it's just me tod…it's just me," she corrected, realizing it would just be her for the rest of this.

The woman sighed with what looked like relief and took her clipboard. "Just have a seat and we'll call you back in a few minutes, Mrs. Gold."

"Oh, it's-you can actually…call me Belle," but the words were lost as the woman had already dismissed her.

She'd never been a terribly fidgety individual, but the moment she arrived back in her seat she found it difficult to keep still. "Call her back". As in back into a room. Alone. In this hospital. When had that ever ended well?

Her leg jumped up and down nervously as she sat there, wishing very much she'd thought to bring a book to distract her when-

"Belle Gold!" her mouth went dry as the woman dressed in scrubs cried her name out into a waiting room and she saw the last thing she'd needed to. The woman that Lacey had stolen the shoes from when she made her escape…it was her. "Belle Gold?" the woman asked looking her over. She tried to swallow and wet her mouth that had suddenly gone dry and she offered a small nod, fearing that she knew who she was and what she'd done as Lacey. But then she broke into a smile and held her arm out. "If you'll come with me…"

She tried to swallow again and picked up her stuff to follow after the woman down a hall into a little alcove with a scale and a chair there. The woman had her stand on the scale, took her weight and her height. She wrote it down somewhere on the paper she had with her and told her to sit down in the chair. Next thing she knew she was coming at her with an odd looking object that almost looked like a gun and she flinched before Lacey's memories told her what it was.

"Just a thermometer, I have to take your temperature," the woman told her before moving some of her hair and sticking it in her ear. She felt silly around these people, stupid and scared like she hadn't been for years but when she saw them and they treated her like this, no matter how friendly they were, it just brought back all the terrible memories. She sat there in near panic as the woman wrote down whatever the thermometer told her and then slid a funny little cuff over her arm that expanded to the point that it cut off her circulation.

"Mmm…" she piqued when it was over and the thing deflated. She reached for her wrist with a couple of fingers then and stared at her watch for several seconds before finally letting her go and writing something else down. "Your heart is racing and your blood pressure is high. Are you under a lot of stress right now? Or maybe feeling a bit nervous?"

She asked her so casually and her mind felt so sluggish, as if she was still on the drugs that she'd once been on here. "Nervous," she finally responded.

The nurse nodded and invited her to follow her again down another hallway where she opened a door to a small room. There was a chair, a counter, and an exam table with tissue paper pulled over it. The door closed behind her and she jumped. The room was so much smaller than she would have thought. "You can have a seat," the nurse invited waving at the table. She opted for the chair beside it; it was a little less intimidating. "Now, I see you are here because you think you're pregnant, any idea how far along you are?"

She knew the words and she tried desperately to form them, to explain about the curse and what happened to her body, but all she managed to mutter was "two weeks".

"Okay, and did you confirm this with an over the counter pregnancy test?"

No, she'd confirmed it because the Lord of Death had chased after her to try and steal her child who she met as an adult in a dream. "No," she whispered instead, looking around the room.

"Okay, the doctor will probably want to get a blood test to confirm then, and are there any problems that we should know about? Anything not right?"

What was right about what she was doing here? Nothing felt right at the moment and she was beginning to think she needed to call Rapunzel down here to sit with her before her heart exploded in her chest! "Just…just morning sickness," she managed to finally stutter out quietly.

"Mmm…it's a little early for that, but we'll have the doctor take a look at it anyway, just sit tight and she'll be in soon!" And with that the nurse vanished and she took a breath again. So it wasn't just the hospital then. It was the people as well. She rifled through her things to find her cell phone and send a text message of distress to Rapunzel, she was sure that they'd let her back since she'd put her as the contact-

The door opened and in stepped a large woman in a white coat. She had dark skin like Rapunzel, her hair was brown and grey and gathered in thick dreadlocks on her head, she was carrying a red file folder in one hand, and her smile…her smile was warm and friendly. It extended even into the eyes behind her glasses. She looked up to the table first, but then located her sitting there on the chair and beamed. "Hi, Belle?" she questioned offering her hand. She didn't realized hers was shaking or cold until she offered it to her and felt her strong warm grip. "I'm Linda's friend Jackie," she explained before pulling up a stool with wheels.

"Linda's friend Jackie"…that wasn't what she had been told. "Linda…Rapunzel's mother?"

"That's right, she asked me to take a look at you."

She nodded. That part was correct. "Rapunzel said…she said you were her lady doctor…"

The woman gave a loud chuckle and nodded. "And so I was for twenty-eight years. Before that I was the medical advisor and midwife to their family, first woman to have that job! I delivered both her kids there and we reconnected when the curse broke. I still look after her here of course but now I've got other patients…like you. How are we doing today? The nurse made some notes in your chart about high blood pressure and that you were a bit nervous?"

She nodded, intending to leave it at that until she realized that she might mistake her nerves of the hospital for nerves having this baby. That was the farthest thing from the truth! "I don't like hospitals," she explained.

"And rightly so," the woman commented opening the file in her hand. "I pulled your records. The first time you were here for twenty-eight years under the name Jane Doe, a ward of our asylum. Amnesia, violent tendencies, lunatic ramblings. Treatments included isolation, shock therapy, sedation, a number of medications… There is nothing on your discharge, but there is a note that you ran away, not an easy feat for someone in your condition or in our asylum. The second time you were here under your maiden name Belle French with Mr. Gold listed as your emergency contact. You were here for amnesia after crossing the town line. Treatment included sedation as there was nothing to be done for you except keep you calm. Interestingly enough you also have no discharge listed, just another note that you ran away…

"That's an impressive medical history and to tell you the truth, if I were you, I'd have high blood pressure being in this place too after all that," she concluded closing the folder and tossing it aside. "I'm impressed you came, after reading your history I didn't think you would, but you did and I think that's great. I want you to know that there is nothing to worry about, that I'm here to help you with anything that you need, and if coming here is going to make you uncomfortable we can talk about some alternative options, but for now, since you are here, why don't you tell me what's going on.

"The nurse said you think you're about two weeks pregnant, but haven't had a test and that you are already having morning sickness?"

The doctor sat back, put her hands in her lap, and watched her carefully. Clearly it was her turn to talk now, but she paused for a moment as she was pleasantly surprised to find that her mind was not a jumbled mess or that her heart was racing or her mouth was dry. She wouldn't say that she felt calm, but something about the woman eased her. It was her eyes, the way she watched her intently and seemed to willing to listen. It was the way that she'd actually taken the time to know what was going on with her. So, with a swallow and a breath, she opened her mouth, and spoke.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was a ton of fun to write for a couple of reasons. The first of which is that I haven't gotten to write a chapter like this for years, probably since season two or three. This is a Belle discovering the world chapter, doing something she's never done and looking at it through fresh eyes! I love getting to write these chapters. It's a return to what I loved writing when I started this series. Second of all, it's fun because of Jackie. Bringing Belle back to the hospital is a nerve-wracking thing for her for a number of reasons, I felt like you could even see it in the scene between her and Snow, she was a bit twitchy. So in order to get her comfortable I wanted to write the doctor as someone who would provide that comfort. Jackie is a real person, her description to her name are all real. She is a friend/advisor I had in school. She was confident and assured and had a huge personality. She practiced tough love but was always there when you needed her and I felt that Jackie was a person Belle needed in a doctor so I wrote her in as a little tribute! I hope you like her too. There is more to come from her in the next chapter.
> 
> Thank you, Taisch, for the comments you left on the last chapter. Thank you for your patience and kind words! I really hope you like the chapters for 6x06. They are actually some of my favorite in this fiction, and good chapters here are few and far between, so I hope you take it in and love it! Peace and Happy Reading!


	25. Blood, Guilt, and Tears

So maybe not every doctor was as bad as she'd thought they were. She liked Jackie. Of course, having the knowledge that she did about her was reassuring, but she found that she liked her personality as well. She was friendly and warm, though obviously, she had a big personality. In some ways, she reminded her of Granny, but without the rough exterior. She listened to her story, every last word of it. She asked for details when it was required, but perhaps best of all didn't pry when it wasn't important.

For example, she told her the date that she'd gotten pregnant and explained that she knew the very day it had happened. She knew that it wasn't two weeks ago, when she was claiming conception and expected Jackie to argue with her, but she didn't, just listened. She told her about the Underworld, how she'd ended up there, how she'd been informed she was pregnant, and what the next few days had been like for her. "So the forest was the first time you felt sick?"

"Yes, but I figured that was more due to shock."

"And after that, you felt sick a couple of days later?"

"Yes, in the farmhouse."

"Had you eaten or had anything to drink?"

"Not really, there was some food around, but I couldn't bring myself to eat it."

She motioned for her to continue and she told her about the Sleeping Curse, how long she'd been placed under it, why, and even how she'd done it. She told her how long ago she'd found herself awake, the dreams of the Red Room, and then the sickness that she felt. All the woman did was watch her, listen, and occasionally make notes.

"Okay," Jackie sighed at the end of the tale. "So, here are my thoughts. I don't know much about magic. Herbs and medicine I can write a book on, but I stayed away from all things magical at home. I don't know that the Dark Magic has damaged your baby, for that I would suggest you do some research on your own or seek out the help of a wizard, I can get some names for you if you like. As far as the rest goes…

"I have to listen to what the numbers tell me but also what the patient tells me. According to the numbers, you shouldn't be feeling the way you are feeling even if your baby continued to grow under the Sleeping Curse. But what you are describing to me is classic morning sickness, which you shouldn't be having right now. Normally, at this first appointment, we just give you a blood test to confirm pregnancy. I think it's pretty safe to assume you are pregnant, but it'll be good to have it on the record. Then, we're going to do something I usually don't recommend for women who are two weeks pregnant. We're going to send you for an Ultrasound."

She blanched at the words for a moment before she broke into a wide happy smile. "A...an ultrasound! I'm…I'm going to see my baby?!"

Jackie nodded with a smirk. "It won't be as fun as it looks in the movies this early on, but I think it's better we know now exactly what we're dealing with."

"Is…is it safe?"

She nodded. "I wouldn't suggest it if it were risky this early on."

An ultrasound. She'd get to see her baby, not a grown man, but her baby…their baby…

Before the guilt could really wash over her Donna stood up. "So! I'm going to take you down the hall for them to draw blood, get you a bit of water for a full bladder, then, if it's okay with you, I'll collect you from the waiting room, and we'll do the ultrasound."

She hardly heard anything the woman said. The excitement of the ultrasound mixed with the guilt of seeing their child without Rumple put her at a loss for words. This was the right thing to do, there was no doubt that it was the right thing to do, the doctor wouldn't send her for an ultrasound this early if it were wrong and Rumple…if he was here he'd want her to do what was best for the child. This was what was best. And frankly, with her high blood pressure and the way her stomach turned and her nerves sizzled every time she thought about him, what was best for the baby at the moment was what was best for her. She didn't want him here. But want and need…the guilt remained.

Jackie escorted her down the hall and had her sit in a seat as another tech came into the room. She explained how she wanted her to draw blood for a pregnancy test and then take her back to the waiting room. She nearly panicked as Jackie made a motion to leave the room and she turned around to check on her and ask if she wanted her to stay. Honestly, yes. Yes, she wanted her to stay by her side! She'd never met a single person in this hospital that she felt comfortable with and she felt her heart race at the thought of being alone. But she also knew this wasn't her. She wasn't normally scared or shy. She needed to be brave. While this hospital was full of horrors for her, she knew that not every person here was evil or had terrible intentions. Jackie trusted this man; he looked young, and professional, he was going to draw blood and then she would sit in the waiting room and then see her baby. Trust had to start somewhere.

With a thick swallow, she shook her head at Jackie's question. No. She could go. Jackie gave her a warm smile and said she'd collect her from the waiting room again in a few minutes. The man in scrubs smiled at her; he didn't offer small talk, just explained what he was going to do. He swabbed the crook of her right arm, tied a tourniquet, and she held her breath as he approached her with the needle.

There were memories. A lot of memories. Memories like this, squeezing her eyes tight as a needle was placed into the crook of her arm. Then, she always felt like she could feel the poison entering her system, affecting her, making her tired and groggy so that the world was in slow motion. She didn't get the feeling now. She felt the needle and oddly dizzy, but when she opened her eyes the world wasn't slow, and instead of going to sleep, the young man put a cotton swab with tape over her arm, then offered her a small pack of sugar cookies and orange juice. She didn't watch what he did with the blood, just ate and drank, and then breathed a sigh of relief when he finally let her go and walked her back to the waiting room. She smiled when she saw it and felt a swell of pride rise in her as she checked her elbow and happily pulled the tape and swab off her arm. She'd done it! She'd faced the blood work on her own, and she wanted as few reminders as she possibly could! But she still felt a small sense of pride as she sat down in the chair, examined her arm, happy to see only a small scab formed there, and breathed in and out again. She was almost done. Now all she had to do was see her baby and go home.

She was proud, but sitting there she felt fidgety again. Not out of a nervous fear, but just out of nervous excitement. She was going to see her baby…alone.

At that thought, she reached over and picked up a magazine. She couldn't let the feeling of guilt ruin this for her. The ultrasound was what was right and if Rumple hadn't locked her on the ship, risked their lives, and then threatened her on that dock then things might be different, and he'd be here right now. He had no one but himself to blame for where he was. Right?

"Belle!" she looked up at the sound of her name being called, and her heart leapt at just the thought that it might be time to go back with Jackie into the little room to see her baby. But it wasn't a doctor or a nurse who at called her. It was Mary Margaret! Or rather Snow White, as she'd asked to be called when she last saw her. "What are you doing here?"

"Snow, hi!" she blanched. This was a visit she hadn't expected! "I'm...getting my first ultrasound," she explained timidly.

"Wow!" Mary Margaret gushed taking the seat next to her. "That's so exciting!"

Yes, yes it was exciting! She was excited at the prospect of seeing her child for the first time! But being here…alone…there it was…that feeling of guilt again.

"Yeah, I didn't even tell Rumple I was coming…" The words left her mouth before she could stop them. She was smiling. She knew she was smiling, she could feel it on her mouth, but it didn't feel right or natural. If this was his fault why did she feel so guilty?

Mary Margaret swallowed hard next to her, and she watched as her happy smile disappeared as well. "Well, given what he's put you through, I don't think anyone would blame you," she commented.

No, no one would blame her after what happened two days ago, but…it wasn't just about that! How were they supposed to be parents together when she didn't even want to look at him? "Well, it's not...it's not just about today, though," she admitted sadly. "I mean, if I don't want Rumple to be a part of something as...as simple as this, what am I gonna do when the baby gets here? How-how am I gonna let him ever be a part of our son's life?" How were they supposed to handle birthdays and holidays? How was she ever supposed to leave her son in his care knowing that he might always be in danger or lied to or imprisoned?! If she didn't trust him with her life anymore then how was she supposed to trust him with her son?

"That is a good question," Mary Margaret whispered awkwardly. "Well, it's one you don't have to answer for at least…two more trimesters."

She gave a small nod. "Yeah…" Two more trimesters…she assumed she had at least that. She had a feeling about what Hades had done to her child, but she didn't know how much. Though when she looked in the mirror in the morning she saw no difference in her figure so she knew that whatever had been done, if anything, wasn't complete. But…she hoped she had two more trimesters. Still was five months enough time to know what she needed about Rumple?

Five months ago they'd taken engagement photos in his shop, Little Neal had been named, and they'd run off together to get married quietly under the stars. She would never have imagined all this would have happened five months later; that she'd be sitting here, alone, in a hospital of all places, pregnant and contemplating the future of her family. What would happen in another five months? Where would they be when their one year anniversary came about?

"Hey, you know I'm going to be here a while, if you want I can go with you. Moral support," Snow suggested.

She smiled. Her heart was in the right place…but hers wasn't. "Thanks…Rapunzel already offered but…I just have this feeling that if I can't share this with Rumple, then I shouldn't really share it with anyone else. Does that make sense?"

"Well…sure but…that doesn't make it true. If you need someone, I'm here."

"Thanks, but…Rapunzel's mother recommended a good doctor for me," she breathed. "But…what…what are you doing here exactly?" she asked, suddenly realizing that Mary Margaret didn't look injured and she'd said she was going to be here a while. Why was she here?

"Oh, well, it's supposed to be a teacher in-service day, but David called me away. Apparently, they found a man half dead in the woods. They brought him in, he needs surgery, but David wanted to go and figure out if he could learn who the man was. We think he's from the Land of Untold Stories, but we can't remember seeing him in Granny's. I'll wait for him, and when he wakes up, hopefully, he can give us some clarity."

She nodded. There was a lot of information in so little a conversation but one that made her happier than the others. "So…you've gone back to teaching!"

"Yeah! I was supposed to start in the fall after we got back from Camelot but I only-"

"Belle!" she glanced over to see Jackie standing there waiting for her with that same warm smile on her face. "Are you ready?" she stood up quickly and nodded, already halfway to her before she remembered….

"Oh! Mary Margaret! I'm mean Snow! I'm sorry I-I-I forgot-"

"It's okay!" she dismissed quickly. "Enjoy it!"

She smiled and followed Jackie into the little room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This Mary Margaret to Snow thing is really killing me. I think I got all of them in this chapter, except for that last little bit which was done on purpose, but if you catch any mistakes then let me know. Sorry this section is slow, Snow's scene with her in the hospital really made these chapters long, but there was no other way to really do it. It didn't fit together right if I did it any other way. But I'm hoping you will enjoy the next chapter. It's kinda like the last one.
> 
> Thank you, Gracigrape23 and Taisch, for your comments on the last chapter. I'm glad that everyone likes those chapters and pleased that you liked my inclusion of Jackie. I really am lucky to have known her and I'm happy that you like her personality for Belle. Thanks for your patience with this story. Trust me, the next Moments is just around the river bend and I can't wait to finish it and get it out to you all! Peace and Happy Reading!


	26. Alternate Processes

The appointment did not go as she thought it would.

When she got back into the little room with Jackie, she found something blue and something white waiting on the table and a changing screen open in the corner with what looked like a small computer on a table.

"Get changed," Jackie told her lowering the blinds. "I'll be back in five minutes with a tech to do the sonogram.

"Changed?!" she'd blanched. "Don't…don't I just tug up my shirt and…"

Jackie was already shaking her head. "I told you…this isn't as easy as it looks on TV. At two weeks we can't do a transabdominal ultrasound, we need to do a transvaginal first."

She felt her nerves catch fire again and had an urge to run out the door. She didn't exactly know what that was, but she knew she didn't like it! Why couldn't they just look through her belly?

Jackie grabbed her hand before she could go anywhere. "I understand if you don't want to do this, but it really is the best way to get a look at the baby and make sure everything looks good. It's not comfortable, but I'm going to be with you the whole time and…your friend…the Queen, I might be able to get her if you-"

"No!" she shook her head looking around, trying to get her heart to slow down. No. She didn't need Snow White, she didn't need Rumpelstiltskin. She needed to make sure her baby was alright and if she'd made it this far… "I can do it," she muttered looking at the items on the table. Jackie nodded. She picked the first item up, it was a gown and she explained she should put it on with the opening in front then come back to the table and drape the second item, a paper sheet, over her legs. Jackie left, she timidly left her bags over the chair and changed as she'd been told, before sitting on the table as she'd been told.

She wasn't very religious, but as she waited for Jackie to get back, she remembered she'd have a tech with her and muttered prayer after prayer that the tech would be a woman and that her baby would be alright. Given the sickness she'd been having, she wasn't sure if she wanted her baby to be two weeks or more.

Finally, the door opened, and Jackie stepped inside with the tech-it was a woman. Jackie had been right, the process wasn't easy and she didn't understand how women subjected themselves to this kind of torture regularly. She shook as she leaned back on the table, put her legs where the tech guided them, and listened despite not wanting to do the final request. Jackie stood by her side and held her hand as she braced herself and stared at the ceiling. The tech was friendly and professional enough, she supposed, telling her about pressure and what she'd feel. She didn't respond, just let a small tear leak out of her eye as Jackie squeezed her hand.

"Doctor, you said two weeks?" the tech finally questioned.

"What are  _you_  seeing Amanda?" Jackie questioned in response.

"Not two weeks," she answered. "Hold on." The tech informed her she was removing the wand and that she could put her legs down. She was all too happy to oblige and listened as the woman did something to the machine before moving over to the side of the bed. She informed her she was just going to move the gown a bit and opened it to reveal her belly button. "This is going to be cold," she muttered before squeezing something clear and blue on her skin. It was cold. The tech, Amanda she supposed, took some kind of handheld device and moved it over the gel and her skin. The image on the screen flickered and moved. And then stopped. "There we are…little guy was hiding from me…."

She raised her head to focus on the screen intently. "Guy?!" she breathed. "It's a boy?!" She didn't know if she wanted to hear the confirmation or not.

"Still a bit too early to tell. But you're not two weeks pregnant. Looking at this…" Amanda clicked a few buttons and little lines appeared on the screen. "I'd say between eight and ten weeks…closer to ten."

She breathed in surprise. Ten weeks. Ten weeks ago she'd been in Camelot and Rumple had been in a coma. So…Hades had sped up her pregnancy! Or tried to at least. He hadn't succeeded and who knew if he would have if she hadn't put herself under the curse.

"Oh! That's a good picture there, let me get that for you," Amanda said suddenly bringing her out of her thoughts. A good picture. She looked up at the screen and nearly lost her breath. It was just black and white and little lines but…that was a head. And what looked like a tiny swaddled baby.

Her baby.

There was no Jackie, no Amanda, no Rumple, no guilt, no fear…just her heart beating as she looked at the small screen. It was real. This was her baby, her boy. It was just a grainy black and white picture, no more than a silhouette, but she'd never been more in love than she was in this moment. She'd never wanted anything more than she'd ever wanted this. And she didn't even know how much until a few weeks ago. Going back to Rumple, the night they'd spent together, the Underworld, the Red Room…all worth it to hold this baby.

"Baby looks good," Amanda informed her smiling by her side. "Here you can listen…"

She flipped a switch, and the room was filled with an odd sound like a drum beating underwater. Amanda explained it was the heartbeat and told her where she could see it on the screen. Amanda kept talking. She kept watching.

This was the best thing she'd ever experienced. She had no words to describe the feeling that moved through her with every beat of her child's pulse. Living, breathing, "looking good"! She never would have ever thought she'd lived a lucky life, but this...she was lucky to have this.

And then it was over. Amanda took a few more pictures, then removed the tool from her belly and handed her some paper towels for the gel on her stomach. "Oh! And these are for you!" she explained before wheeling the machine away. It was a picture she'd taken from the sonogram. Two identical pictures.

"Oh, it's just…it's just me…I don't need."

"Oh, it's just standard procedure," Jackie smiled. "You could hang one on the fridge and keep one by the bed, or some women take one to work and keep the other in the car. It's up to you. I'll give you a few minutes to get dressed again, and then I'll come back in, and we'll talk about your options going further."

Going further. She didn't know what that entailed; she wouldn't exactly say that all of this appointment had been fun, but it was all worth it to see the sonogram, to see her baby, to hear that heartbeat. Two minutes had made up for the entire hour.

Jackie returned after she was dressed, saying excitedly "Congratulations, bloodwork confirms you're pregnant!" She laughed at the joke and already felt as though she was floating on air when she looked at the picture of the sonogram by her bag, though she didn't want to admit what she felt when she saw the other one. But when the pair of them talked it was clear that her day had just gotten better.

She was not the only one in Storybrooke with an aversion to doctors and the hospital, after a lot of people woke up from the curse there were many of them that preferred the old ways over the new ways and that was why Jackie had started her own business of sorts. She was a midwife long before she was a doctor and she believed that all pregnant women qualified for proper medical care even if they didn't want to go to the hospital. So she'd set up a service, once a month, sometimes over a weekend, depending on the number of clients she had, she would go the infirmary at the convent and see her pregnant patients. She had a portable sonogram machine, she drew blood, she took care of all their problems as best she could and rarely did she ever have to have women go to the hospital unless there was something wrong. When the time came for the baby to be born, her clients called her direct line, she met them at the infirmary, and she did her best to deliver the baby safely away from the hospital.

All of what she said made sense to her and the idea of being somewhere familiar, outside the sterile white hospital, made her feel safe. She told Jackie she would much rather that option, and Jackie told her the dates of her next clinic in a few weeks. As far as the morning sickness went she'd just have to grin and bear it as women had for centuries. She gave her a list of things that might help like toast, ginger tea, crackers, and other easy to find remedies that might help as well as a lucky fact. "Morning Sickness usually stops just around after the third month so give it another couple of weeks and you might begin to feel a bit better. If not let me know next time we see each other and we'll try to fix it."

To her surprise, she hugged Jackie on the way out and thanked her from the bottom of her heart for seeing her. She told her it wasn't a problem; it was her job to help women through these times, and to tell Rapunzel and her mother "hello" for her the next time she saw them. She promised she would, and Jackie was gone, off to meet her next patient down the hall, leaving her alone for check out…with two sonograms.

The woman at the front desk had her sign some papers and she stared at the pictures by her side as she went over everything, though she was no longer paying attention. Two pictures. One person. She could do the math. She knew what and who the other picture was for and it wasn't for her to take to the library or hang from a refrigerator if she had one. It was for Rumple. He couldn't be here for the Sonogram, but he had the right to see this picture. That part wasn't even a question in her mind. How to give it to him…that was the true question that made her palms sweat.

She was done, almost safe and finally out the door when she spotted Snow White standing by a cart of flowers in the waiting room she'd left her in. She could have sworn she'd been in that office for hours and yet it had barely been one. The patient she was waiting on would probably still be in surgery. Of course, she was still here.

"Any news on our patient?" she asked wandering over to her.

"Oh, he's still in surgery, but Dr. Whale seems to think that he has a fighting chance," she explained off handedly toying with some baby's breath.

"Oh, tha-that's great!" So…maybe she'd have some answers soon then.

"Yeah… What'd your doctor say?" she questioned suddenly taking her eyes off the flowers like she'd suddenly just remembered what was going on! What had the doctor said? What hadn't she said?!

"Oh, I'm, uh...I'm good! Everything looks normal. You know, so far, anyway," she chuckled and couldn't believe that she was actually smiling! Things were only as normal as Hades had made them, but still the memory of hearing her babies heart and seeing him grow was far too good to let herself be caught up in all that. So she was a little closer to her due date. The baby looked fine and healthy, unharmed by the magic Hades had used on her to speed up the pregnancy. And it was like Snow said…she still had at least two trimesters. With Hades gone there was no reason to think that things wouldn't be normal from now on. But normal came with its own set of complications. Like the one in her hand right now.

"But..." Snow prompted.

"They...they gave me two copies. They said it was standard procedure," she rolled her eyes trying to dismiss what looking at them made her feel. Irritation. Guilt. Sadness. Fear.

"Do you want to give one to Gold?" she asked with sympathy.

That was just the thing…she honestly didn't know because she didn't know what was best for her child right now. Best for her? Yes, that would be leaving town and never coming back when he called, but for her child…she was back to the same old question. A complicated possibly hurtful life with his father, or a peaceful one far away never knowing him. What was best for this child? Sure she wanted Rumple to have this sonogram but she didn't want to actually give it to him because of what he'd done! How were they supposed to raise this child?

"I don't know if Rumple can ever do anything to repair what we once had," she admitted.

"But you hope?" she questioned as if she was still rooting for them even if she felt there was nothing left to root for.

She couldn't see the future for the pair of them, but she'd seen her son in the dream world. It was the closest she suspected she'd get to the future for him, and she'd never get the look in his face out of her mind.

"I don't know…" she answered sadly. "But I do know that our son in our dream, he looked at Rumple with such hatred. I think...I think that there might be a chance for things to turn out differently for them…that much, I hope," she sighed.

She did want that. She didn't know how much she'd wanted it until this conversation, but she did want it. She didn't want their child to have to grow up without his father, she wanted them to have a good relationship, for Rumple to be able to have the opportunity to fix the mistakes he made with Neal. After what happened a couple of days ago she didn't care for their relationship beyond what it was but if she had to sacrifice some of her dignity to make sure her son had something good with Rumple she'd do it. And if it turned into something bad? If her son wound up in danger or locked away or lied too…she had more thinking to do. Much more thinking. But for now…maybe she had something that would encourage him. If she wasn't enough to make him want to change, maybe something else could.

"You saw your son in a dream?" Snow sweetly questioned as if it was adorable that she was dreaming about such things. "You know you could talk about this stuff with Archie if you wanted."

She shook her head. "It's a long story," she dismissed. "And not a dream like that but…Archie…you found him?"

"Oh, yeah," Snow waved as she rolled her eyes. "Freed him earlier today. The Evil Queen took him and turned him back into a cricket, but Regina should have undone that spell by now. He'll be a little shaken I'm sure, but at least he's safe. And he's strong, always has been. He'd talk if he knew you needed him."

"I know," she muttered. "But for now…for now, I need to catch up with someone else…I'll see you around Snow."

"Don't be a stranger," she called after her as she left.

She was confused and excited and elated all at the same time. But if she couldn't make up her mind to talk to Rumple, she knew of one person she certainly could talk to. She dialed her number the moment she left the hospital.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me be absolutely clear on this one. I did not want in any way shape and or form to have Belle's pregnancy sped up. I would have had her be content to be two weeks pregnant just like she's supposed to be but what killed it was the sonogram Rumple looks at in 6x07. I've already gone over how freakin' accurate I like to get with the show and the problem is that the sonogram he is holding in his hand is not one for a two week embryo, it's not even a four week old embryo. I studied sonograms week by week, at one point day after day (you can find anything on the internet) and it was abundantly clear that the cute picture of the baby we saw in that scene could never be their child unless the pregnancy was sped up. The sonogram picture matches, at the very least a pregnancy for 8-10 weeks. In my opinion, I had no choice on this one, I was merely correcting a mistake made, probably in props, actually. I have a feeling this one little detail can't exactly be laid at A&E's feet...simple mistake, but I've corrected it, whether I wanted to or not.
> 
> Thank you to BelleAlasseGold and Gracigrape23 for your comments on the last few chapters. We only have one more chapter for 6x06 left and hey, good news, with this chapter we are officially half way through this fiction. Buckle up, because this has been the easy half. Peace and Happy Reading!


	27. Unlove Letters

Hours later she found herself sitting at a booth at Granny's, Rapunzel in the seat next to her and Rapunzel's mother, who called herself Linda here, in the seat across from her. When she left the hospital she'd wanted only to talk to Rapunzel about what had happened and to thank her mother, so she asked if she could round her up and meet her for an early dinner. She agreed. She'd seen her since the Enchanted Forest but hadn't really had a conversation with her since then. The woman she knew had been strong, but still nearly traumatized by the flying monkey attacks that had almost killed her entire family. She seemed to have healed now and was smiling with her as she told her all about her appointment and Jackie and just how thankful she was that she'd made the call for her because if she hadn't she wasn't sure she would ever have done it or gone herself.

"Sometimes it's not what you know but who," Linda smiled. "Jacqueline was a blessing to us at the court, she brought both my babies into this world and saw my parents painlessly out of it. I'd trust her with anyone, and I hope you'll come to feel like you do too."

She already did. She liked Jackie a lot, more than she ever thought she would like a doctor other than Archie.

"Mmm!" Rapunzel poked her with her elbow before finally swallowing her tea. "Show her what you got!"

She smiled as she took the sonogram picture out of her bag and passed it to Linda who admired it with a beaming smile. "Aw. Now, what did she say…ten weeks?"

She nodded. "Between eight and ten, but closer to ten. Hades was speeding up my pregnancy, but at least it's over, and there will be no lasting effects on him. At least the morning sickness will be over soon."

"And it's like the sun comes out when it does," Linda commented as Granny came over to refill drinks. She showed it to her and watched as she beamed even through her tight face.

"Well done, girl," she smiled handing it back to her.

"Thanks," she muttered safely storing it once more in her bag. "They gave me two copies, and I've decided to give the other to Rumple, he deserves to see his child, right?"

"Are you asking or telling?" Rapunzel questioned.

Another excellent question. "Both? I know it's right, I know he should see it, I just…I haven't exactly thought through how to get it to him."

"I suppose the normal way is out of the question," Linda commented.

"Trust me," Rapunzel answered. "It's out of the question. He put you through hell two days ago, and I'm not saying that you'll have to look past that eventually, but for now…you have every right to be angry and stay away."

"Which is exactly the problem."

"Well there is always the old way," Granny suggested a heartbeat later.

"The old way?" she questioned. "What exactly is 'the old way'?"

"Well, long before telephones and computers, when you wanted to tell someone something or get something to them you hired a messenger and wrote a letter."

"You think she should hire a currier to take her sonogram across the street."

"That's up to her. Write a letter, hire someone, or drop it into the mail slot or under the door yourself," she explained before someone called for Granny and she went away to find out what the trouble was.

It wasn't a half bad idea. Writing a letter and slipping it under the door meant she didn't have to see him or talk to him but could easily get the information she needed to him. It wasn't as romantic an idea as she would have liked it to be. In her fantasies she'd always thought if she and her husband were exchanging letters they would always be love letters, but this…this would just be friendly correspondence…at best. What a way to spend a six-month anniversary. Still it was the best option that she had and when she and Rapunzel finally said good-bye to her mother the pair of them walked down the street to the library and she volunteered to watch the front desk for a while so she and Flynn could have some down time that didn't involve saving her life in some way.

They took her up on the offer, she found a pen, and some paper, then sat down at the front desk and wrote "Dear Rumpelstiltskin", and stopped.

" _Dear Rumpelstiltskin_ ". She didn't like it already. It was both too formal and too intimate at the same time. He wasn't exactly "dear" to her at the moment and "Rumpelstiltskin"…

She tossed the paper aside and started over with just the word " _Rumple_ " as her greeting.

She didn't like it. It was too casual. Rumple was always what she'd called him as a nickname. She'd always felt odd doing it in the castle because it was suggestive of a relationship and how odd was it that she was carrying his baby, but felt there was no connection there at all at the moment and she didn't really care to have one.

She tossed the paper aside again and instead just wrote " _Rumpelstiltskin_ " at the top then paused to consider it.

Better. Much better.

_Rumplestiltskin, I went to the doctor today and had my first ultrasound. They printed two copies, and I thought you should have the second._

She hated it. All two lines of it. She stared down at what else she felt needed to be said at the end of it and knew there was so much but there was just so little she was willing to give! What more was she supposed to say?! She didn't care for him to know anything about her but this wasn't about her…this was about the baby. He deserved to know what she could tell him.

She tossed the paper in the garbage and began again.

_Rumpelstiltskin, First I want to express my deep apologies for not-_

She threw it away before she even finished the first line for obvious reasons. Too formal. Too insincere. Not the truth and yet too much the truth.

"Just tell him about the appointment, Belle," she muttered to herself as she began again with a deep breath.

_Rumpelstiltskin, I wanted to let you know that I had my first doctor's appointment today. Someone recommended a wonderful woman to me who was a midwife in Mist Haven. I liked her. After I raised some concerns with her over the sleeping curse and the belief Hades might have sped up the pregnancy she believed it was best to have some bloodwork and an Ultrasound done._

_The bloodwork was nothing serious, just routine for confirmation of pregnancy._

_The ultrasound was not normal. According to the technician I'm eight to ten weeks pregnant by the look of it, which we both know isn't possible. It would seem Hades was working on speeding up the pregnancy, but obviously didn't succeed. The baby is due sometime in April and other than the rapid growth appears healthy and normal._

_I've set it up with my doctor that I won't have to go back to the hospital for appointments and hopefully not even for the birth as it still makes me very uncomfortable. I've been assured that it will still be remarkable care, just not at a doctor's office._

_I'm enclosing the second copy of the sonogram for you. I figured you would want to have it. It was one of the happiest moments of my life. I saw our baby. I heard his heartbeat. Of course, they can't tell if it's a boy yet, but after the dream world I have a feeling I already know. I am sorry, if I had known I would be getting an ultrasound I would have invited you as I feel it's appropriate since you are his father no matter what our relationship is or isn't. You're the only father he has and I don't want to take that away from either of you._

She paused at the conclusion and looked it over. Yes, much different than the love letters she'd always imagined she'd write. But there is was. All the information he needed was there with none of the unnecessary information she didn't want to give him about her. The last paragraph...it bordered on just a bit too much. She'd felt tears rise to her eyes and a lump in her throat as she wrote it. For a brief second she considered rewriting it, but after considering that it would mean rewriting the entire letter she had another moment of consideration. It was fine. It certainly flirted with being too emotional, but everything she'd put in there was honest and truthful. She hoped it would motivate him.

But now one last question remained. How was she to sign this?

She'd stopped herself just before she wrote "Your Belle". Those words put a sour taste in her mouth. She didn't want to be his. She didn't want to be anybody's if they weren't hers as well and after all this time she knew that he belonged to the Darkness, not to her. The painful part was that he'd always claimed the reverse. The one and only letter that he'd ever written her, just after the curse broke and she'd woken the next day a stranger to this new world but not to him.  _"I love you, I could not wait for lunch to tell you…yours R."_

Oh, how she wished those last two words had been true. But she'd learned that it was the actions of a man, not is words that revealed his true loyalty and while he had some loyalty to her, he had it more to the Darkness within him. She wasn't his.

In the end, she simply signed the letter " _Belle_ ", found an envelope in the work room and sealed the note with the sonogram inside of it as Rapunzel's footsteps echoed down the stairs with Flynn.

"Just in time," she muttered.

"Were you watching me? Are there hidden cameras here I should know about?" she questioned with sarcasm.

"No, I keep those in the copy room where the good stuff happens. The only thing that ever happens out here is people checking out books, but the copier…will they print, will they copy, color, black and white, woo?! It's a smorgasbord of espionage."

She shook her head at the joke.

"So are you done?"

"Um…yeah I think so…I mean, I can stay here for a little while longer if you want me to give you more time."

"Nah, you've had a big day, and I'm tired of Flynn already. I'll close tonight. Do you…do you want me to deliver that?"

She considered that, carefully. But in the end she shook her head. It would be too easy to just let Rapunzel do it when she was going to have to learn to walk by the shop again eventually. If she knew him, he'd be in the back tinkering with something whether it be an antique or an evil plan. She'd just slip it the package under the door and go home.

Across the street, at the pawn shop she saw that the shades had all been drawn, and the light outside at that time of day made it difficult for her to tell if the lights were even on or not. But that was okay. She didn't need to know. She didn't want to walk in there and see him, she didn't trust that she could look at him without screaming or feeling that anger she'd felt at the docks flair inside of her once more so instead she did what she said she would. She walked to the door, took the envelope, and slid it through the crack between the door and the floor.

She walked back to the ship immediately, her heart hammering as she walked down the street, counting each step and each echo, half expecting to hear the door open at any moment and his voice call out her name when she'd have to make a decision to turn back or walk on.

But before he could, if he could, she turned the corner back to the dock, and then she was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I felt a lot of anger when writing a lot of the chapters for this fiction; I won't lie. But this chapter was different. I found that I didn't feel anger in it but instead just sorrow. It is more a testament to how far apart they have fallen than anything else, and it is a truly sad moment. At least it is to me.
> 
> Thank you, Taisch, for your comments. Always appreciated. This is obviously our last chapter for this episode and coming up next we are moving on to 6x07. On the one hand there are only four more episodes to cover in the fiction, on the other hand...ugh, these are not pretty episodes. I advise you to stock up on wine. Peace and Happy Reading!


	28. Back to the Underworld

She was not shocked, confused, or even disoriented when she went to bed that night and found herself in a room of red flames. In fact, she was surprised to find that the sigh that came out of her mouth was one of annoyance and frustration rather than fear. How long was this going to continue?

"You're getting tired of it, that's good." She spun around to find Aurora coming to her with a smile on her face. "You'll figure your way out of here soon," she assured her.

No. Not soon. She was tired of this. She wanted her dreams to be her own again, to be silent and unknown. She was sick of coming to this room every night. "No. Teach me now. How do I wake myself up and get out of here?"

They spent what must have been the rest of the night working on it, but waking herself up from a dream turned out to be far more difficult than she ever imagined it would be. She wasn't quite sure why, but no matter how many times poor Aurora showed her (she must have gotten up and fallen asleep herself that night at least six times), she still couldn't do it.

She woke the next morning, feeling more exhausted than when she'd gone to bed and utterly sick to her stomach. She'd picked up a few supplies yesterday, the ginger and tea that Jackie had suggested she try. While it boiled she sat slumped at the table, feeling miserable and then jumped at the sound coming from across the room.

She'd been expecting the kettle to whistle but…her cell phone? Morning had only just started? Who on earth would want to talk to her? Her stomach knotted as she went to retrieve it. What if it was Rumple? Or her father? Or...

"Emma?"

"Hey, sorry to wake you, but we need you, or your books at least…"

She perked up at the thought. She was always happy to help. Or at the very least feel useful. If she was honest with herself, half of what was making the morning sickness so bad was that she felt she was helpless to do anything but sit on a rocking ship. A distraction, no matter how sick she felt, might be nice. And if they needed her for books, that was all the better.

"Yeah sure, what can I do for you?"

"The River of Lost Souls, in the Underworld, you're familiar with it?"

Well, she was sure any kind of research would have made her feel better, but that very name made her stomach knot up all over again with guilt. "I know what it does," she responded, recalling with almost perfect crystal clarity the image of her former fiancé plunging into the waters and never coming up again. Gaston…she'd thought that act would haunt her forever, but with the Red Room and her baby and even Rumple she'd barely thought of him since she'd woken. But that fact didn't exactly make the guilt vanish. If anything it made it worse.

"I need you to do some research on it. I need to know if there is any way to stop the effects of the water on people, neutralize it, vaporize it, something! And I need you to hurry."

"Is there a problem?" she questioned getting to her feet and beginning to get herself together for a trip to the library. It was where she would have to go if Emma wanted any research done that wasn't about babies or pregnancy.

"Isn't there always?" she replied with a sad sigh. "We'll be at my house if you find anything."

She ended her conversation with Emma and pulled the kettle off the hot plate just as it started to whistle. She'd save the water for later and take the tea bag with her instead. She could boil water at the library to get her stomach to stop rolling, but the urgency in Emma's voice told her she really couldn't waste time.

After pulling on her shoes it took her all of five minutes to get to the library and find Rapunzel in the back and-

The image nearly stopped her in her tracks. "You wear glasses?!" she blanched in confusion.

"Mmm? Oh!" she quickly plucked them off her nose and looked them over as if she'd completely forgotten that they were there. "It's a new thing. I was getting headaches and mom suggested going to the eye doctor. I'm still getting use to them. They're…I don't know…"

"They suit you," she explained with a smile. It was odd how she'd never seen her with the glasses before but they looked as though they completed her now. They were wonderful…

But this wasn't a social call or even a normal working day. She had a mission. There was a task to complete and tempting as it was to compare stories of the doctor she had to get down to work. Before they could start another conversation she explained what was going on...or at least what she had to do. It only just dawned on her that Emma never really did tell her what the problem was or why they needed this information. She just told her to find a way to neutralize the River of Lost Souls. Or stop it. From what? That was abruptly obvious to her.

"It does what?" Rapunzel questioned as she tied back her hair and gave her a book cart to start piling books on.

"Just what I told you. It traps souls. Tortures them throughout all eternity."

"And this River just runs through the entire Underworld unchecked."

She shrugged as she went into her mythology section, relieved that they had more than just magical books they could draw from for this. "I don't think Hades wanted it 'checked'."

"Okay…so…this one should be easy right. I mean, we know what we're looking for this time we just have to read up on the River of Lost Souls. It's not like the other times where we scann hundreds of books for words because we really don't know what we're looking for, right?"

They did not know what they were looking for. The River of Lost Souls did not exist anywhere in any literature she had from Greek mythology, Roman mythology, or even in the magical books from Mist Haven. Rumple had told her the River was called the River of Lost Souls, Hades had called it the River of Lost Souls, but the only River of Lost Souls that she found was in the Enchanted Forest and it was called that because of its location between two villages, lack of bridges, fast current, and abnormally long waterfall.

That being said, the idea of water in the Underworld was not an unknown topic. She found, with consistency in all three different types of references, that there were actually five rivers in the Underworld. Each, it appeared was responsible for something different and horrible.

The Archeron, called "The River of Pain", was most likely the river that Rumple and the others had taken to get to the Underworld since it was the River that Charon, the ferrymen who would have collected Robin's soul months ago, used to get to the Underworld.

She shivered at the thought of Robin, at the irony that he'd escaped the Underworld twice and in the end succumbed leaving Roland and his daughter and all who loved him behind. When she really thought about it, she wasn't terribly surprised that Regina had done what she'd done. She didn't know how else she was expected to deal with such a loss.

Lethe was a river that appeared in traditions where reincarnation were popular, but also in tales of revenge. Apparently drinking the waters meant that a person would forget their past life. It was a helpful tool before someone went to live in another life, and a terrible weapon for anyone wishing to punish someone. She couldn't imagine a life of wandering around that dreadful place, unable to fulfill unfinished business just because she had no memories of…she shuddered again at the thought that she had that life once. Here in Storybrooke, sitting alone in a cell for twenty-eight years without a clue as to who she was or where she was from or how she'd gotten there. Those were memories she'd best not revisit at the present time.

Phlegethon, or the River of Fire, shifted its description depending on where she looked. Some claimed the river was actually fire and not water, other sources said it was blood, but all agreed that its primary focus was to boil souls, particularly those who had commit terrible crimes, murderers, tyrants, violence…

The River of Cocytus, or the River of Wailing, was very similar to Phlegethon in that it had different forms in different resources. It could be made of water, but others suggested it was made of ice and that it froze criminals who committed treachery or fraud for an eternity.

The final and easily the most prominent of the Rivers was one called The Styx. It was alarming to her because it was the only one that didn't seem to have an alternate name. It was just called "The Styx". It was the only one of the Rivers that seemed to have extraordinary abilities. A bath in the Styx seemed to have the ability to make an individual invulnerable. She actually found a story about a woman so determined to keep her child safe that she dipped him in the river by his heel. He turned into a great man and a powerful fighter, until one day, in a fight someone managed to hit him with poison in the heel his mother had held him by, the only part of him not to bathe in the river. He died instantly.

"We know it's not the Phlegethon or Cocytus," she explained an hour later, pacing the library and trying to work through it with Rapunzel as if it were a riddle. "I saw nothing like rivers of fire, blood, or even ice in my time in the Underworld."

"That only leaves Styx, Archeron, and Lethe…" Rapunzel replied, rubbing her temples, looking nearly in pain.

"The Styx…I don't know, all the books say that is the most widely known, the biggest in the Underworld. But other than that it's difficult to see the similarities. The River of Lost Souls tortured its victims for an eternity, I never found out how, but that could be either the Acheron or Lethe."

"Lethe?" Rapunzel questioned. "Sounds more like Acheron to me."

She shrugged. "Me too but Lethe does help others move on to another life and falling into that River…trust me it's another kind of life. Besides, we don't know what kind of torture it was. Never knowing who you are is a torture all it's own."

"Well…not to be negative, but does it really matter which it is?"

She stopped walking and looked back over at Rapunzel absolutely bewildered. "Why wouldn't it matter? Emma said we had to find a way to neutralize the waters."

"Yeah, and that's just the thing. I've been reading about these rivers trying to figure out which is which and I've learned a lot about them in the details but there is nothing in any of these books on stopping the waters."

That point brought her to a complete standstill. She'd been so focused on trying to figure out which was which that she'd lost sight of their first and only goal here. Find something to neutralize the water. That was missing. She'd read about the chemical make up, the jobs, the geography, the taste, the abilities…but nowhere in any of this was there any word about reversing the effects or stopping them. It was obvious why. She very much so doubted anyone had ever really ventured into the Underworld for as long as they had and really learned about the place. Obviously not or someone would have mentioned the River of Lost Souls!

But then…

There were some who had gone down for very specific purposes, not exactly to rescue the dead, but she knew of at least one who had gone for another reason.

"The Styx," she muttered returning to her seat across from Rapunzel. "The Styx has the ability to make people invulnerable. If we could get some of that water than we might be able to at least make someone invulnerable to it."

Rapunzel nodded slowly as if agreeing and understanding, but she could still sense that there were problems with it. "How do we get it?" she pointed out quietly. "I mean…this isn't the Underworld and I'm pretty sure getting there isn't an easy thing. And…we don't even know what is going on! Emma just told you to neutralize the water but she didn't tell you why? Is it because she's going to fight with someone that has it? Is someone going to poison the Storybrooke water supply? Threaten the children?"

"Well…the only way that I could think of to get it, other than searching the town, would be to have Rumple open the portal tonight so we can return and get the River Waters ourselves, but seeing as how I never encountered Styx there and that we're not even sure it'll work I really doubt he would open the portal for us right now. Then there is the issue of whether I actually want to ask him for help…" she sighed as the problems with her plan began arising one after another. She wasn't ready to dismiss what she'd come up with, but she wasn't sure that it was the right answer for them either because Rapunzel was right, she didn't even know what they needed the water for!

Sunshine flooded the interior of the library for a moment as Flynn let himself into the space, walked into the reading room where their books were set up and then looked around his bright happy demeanor automatically morphing into something like disappointment.

"I'm interrupting…aren't I?"

Rapunzel opened her mouth, but she beat her to it after seeing the car keys dangling from his hand. "We need more information. And I know where we have to go to get it," she responding leaving the table.

"I'll drive!" Rapunzel insisted grabbing the keys out of a stunned Flynn's hand.

She gawked at her. Glasses and she could drive a car now? "Do you have a license?" she questioned in shock.

"Do you?" she questioned smartly.

She nearly winced when she realized that she didn't. All she had was fake experience Lacey had given her. She'd learned how to drive from a curse. "Fair point, let's go."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Research!Belle chapter! Always love Research!Belle chapters. Even if the writers did make her into a blithering moron during season six (among other things). I can only do so much about that though. Also in this chapter, Rapunzel has glasses! Surprise! Why does Rapunzel have glasses? There are many reasons. One of them has to do with Belle, but another of them has to do simply with the fact that I think it's an interesting contrast to gloom and doom. It's a reminder that life is going on around them. The Evil Queen is threatening the entire town, but kids are getting up for school, dogs are being walked, Rapunzel is getting glasses, Granny's is opening...life goes on. It's a nice reminder of the innocence that can be lost if the Evil Queen wins.
> 
> Peace and Happy Reading!


	29. Opposite Sides of the War

The three of them crowded into Flynn's car, she and Raunzel up front, with Flynn sitting in the back. She gave instructions to Rapunzel as she drove, telling her where to go, at the same time telling Flynn what was going on, why they were working, and finally where they were going. The time it took to get there apparently was not long enough for his taste and by the time they pulled up he was still sitting in the back, shaking his head, looking utterly lost and confused.

"So…the River has Souls…why not just not feed it souls or avoid it all together?"

She opened her mouth and looked over at Rapunzel as they pulled up to the house but she only shook her head. "You go, I'll explain." And that was exactly what she did. She got out of the car, jogged up the stairs to Emma's front door, let herself in, and instantly regretted not counting the cars on the street. Emma had said that they would be at her house, she had hadn't taken into account who all "they" would be. Emma, Regina, Snow White, David, Killian, even Henry despite the fact that she knew it was a school day was sitting on the counter behind them. They all looked thoroughly engrossed in a small bottle sitting on the table in front of them. At least they were engrossed until she came crashing through the door.

"Belle!" Emma sighed with relief. "Tell me you found something."

Honestly? She didn't know how to respond to that. The River Styx and what it promised might not actually be something that could work for them or was worth making a deal with Rumple for depending on the situation. "Maybe, but…I don't want to get your hopes up," she admitted sadly.

"We'll take anything," David admitted from his place between Snow and Regina.

She sighed. "There is no mention of the River of Lost Souls in any of my books on the Underworld, from here or the Enchanted Forest. There is plenty of information there on Rivers in the Underworld, but none that closely matches the river that we encountered.

"There was one story of a boy who was dipped in a different River in the Underworld, one called the Styx. Supposedly this water was able to make him invulnerable. Anyone who bathes in the Styx would receive that same ability, but it requires us to convince Rumple to open the portal, go back to the Underworld, find the Styx, and bathe."

"Back to the Underworld?" Killian questioned. "You must be crazy."

"We don't have time to wait around to open the portal," Snow added.

"And even if we did I really doubt Gold would be willing to help us for a reasonable price," Regina growled.

No. Of course he wouldn't. Because he had no idea what it meant to help people just because they needed help. But she did. She wondered what kind of price he would consider a visit from her, or even just a conversation. She hated to think of their relationship in those terms of course but depending upon the situation and why they needed to neutralize the water.

"What is all this about any way? Why the sudden interest in the River of Lost Souls?"

"Because the Evil Queen has decided to kill the entire town," Regina blurted out.

Her eyes went wide and for a moment she tried to make sure that she hadn't heard the wrong thing. But no, Regina looked serious enough. "What?!"

Regina uncrossed her arms, grabbed the little bottle before them and set it closer to her. "Look familiar?"

She stepped forward and took the small bottle. There was certainly water inside of it. It was clear, had the same density, certainly moved like water…but she had a feeling it wasn't from the tap. "You're sure this is from the River of Lost Souls."

"Positive," Regina snarled.

"Where did you get it?" she exclaimed setting it down. She never wanted to be near that stuff again.

"The Evil Queen grabbed me from my bed last night and gave it to me," Snow White explained. "She told me we had twelve hours to figure out what it was and give our hearts up willingly to her otherwise the town would have a taste."

Well…that answered that question. They could not transport everyone in the town to the Underworld to bathe in the River Styx and she was sure that even if they did manage to find the River they couldn't bring enough back to protect the town and certainly not in the twelve hour time frame!

"And you're sure," she questioned again, grasping at straws. "You are absolutely positive she didn't just grab water out of the tap and is making an empty threat? And…if she had you vulnerable last night why not just take your heart then?!"

"Because I put a protection spell over their hearts when my other half first showed up and…I never made empty threats," Regina explained. "And there is a tree just outside Granny's that has seen better days and can attest that this water is what the Evil Queen says it is."

She sighed as she looked it over, even knowing what she now knew she was stunned and shocked and scared. Nothing that she'd read today promised any kind of protection or even hope against an attack like that. There wouldn't be. It was the Underworld. The people there were dead, these waters, any of them from any of the rivers weren't to be used as attacks! They were not something to be countered or reversed; they were used as punishments. But up here, in the real world…not the Underworld…she felt her stomach flip over.

"How…how did the Evil Queen get her hands on something like that?" she questioned. "None of us would have brought any of it back from the Underworld and…the Evil Queen wasn't even around then! You didn't separate yourself until afterwards! Where is her source?"

Regina snorted. "More like a who. Three guesses…"

Three guesses. She had an awful feeling in the pit of her stomach that brought tears to her eyes that she didn't need three guesses, just one. Her husband. "Rumpelstiltskin had it," she mumbled to herself. "He gave it to her…I'm right aren't I?"

"So it would seem," Regina confirmed.

She had to take a deep breath to keep herself from bursting into angry tears or throwing something. As it was, her jaw hurt from clenching her teeth together in frustration. This was so typically a Rumpelstiltskin move she should have expected it back in the library when she and Rapunzel were talking about asking him to let them into the Underworld. Why had she ever believed he'd be helpful and part of the solution instead of the part of the problem?

"You don't seem shocked that Gold brought some of this back and gave it to the queen," Emma observed.

"I'm not," she answered trying to resist the urge to pick the thing up and throw it across the room. Who knew how he'd managed to get it without forfeiting his own life as Gaston. "He's not acting like the man he could be. I wish I could help. But I-I've looked through all my books for any information on-on how to neutralize water from the River of Souls, but...I'm afraid there's nothing," she declared sadly.

That wasn't good enough. She felt it herself, no answer was worth nothing. There had to be something somewhere! And she might know where to find it…

"I'll keep looking…" she declared, she had an idea…a bad idea…but an idea either way.

She opened the door and found the Blue Fairy about to knock. She meant to say "hi" to her but before she could the fairy moved around her and into the room. She was tempted to stay for just a moment, to hear what she had to say, but she had a feeling that if she didn't move now then she might lose the nerve she had.

With a deep breath, she walked back down the stairs and got into the car where Rapunzel and Flynn were both watching her carefully. Her stomach was twisting and turning as she got in and buckled her seatbelt despite the fact that the car wasn't running.

"Well?" Rapunzel questioned cautiously.

"It's bad," she concluded.

"Bad?" Flynn asked as though he didn't believe it

She nodded. "Bad. Destruction of the town, bad." Also not exactly a surprise for her husband the Dark One. Destroying the town was not exactly a new thing for him. It was something he'd tried to do after they got married. So long as she and their son were immune…

Immunity…she nearly slapped herself. Jekyll, before he'd tried to murder her, while Killian was still in the Captains Quarters with her, he'd told her that Rumple had made a deal of some kind with the Evil Queen. She had a sudden idea she knew what that deal was.

Again, she really shouldn't have been surprised. He would justify his dirty actions by saying it was for her own good. Making decisions for her, sacrificing the entire town for his own purposes, playing dirty…

He wasn't the only one that could do that.

"I have an idea about where we could look for answers. It's no guarantee…but it is something at least…"

"Go on," Rapunzel replied after a long pause.

She sighed, instantly feeling guilty. In a perfect world she would go and do this on her own…but a lookout might be necessary.

"You're not going to like it," she added, giving her friends an opportunity to run if they wanted to.

She watched as Rapunzel turned and looked back at Flynn and the pair exchanged a silent glance.

"Go on…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pretty straight forward chapter. It's the scene that we saw in the episode, but I had one heck of a time getting it publication ready because when we finally come in to see it, half of the conversation has already taken place. Again, this isn't something I blame the writers for. We the viewers already know what's going on so it would actually be poor writing to include the first half of the conversation, but since we only see the series from Belle's perspective, I had to write it. Also, this is just another example of how easily Rapunzel and Flynn have so far fit into the fiction. It's pretty easy to leave them in the car or excuse them for something. At least so far. I hope it's acceptable.
> 
> Peace and Happy Reading!


	30. Fighting Fire With Water

"She was right; I don't like this!"

"I don't like it either!" Rapunzel hissed back at Flynn. "But…are you sure…"

"Sure that I'll find something? No. Sure this is our last chance? If there isn't something in there then I'm confident it's not anywhere else," she answered looking out the window. The pink house, her former residence, was across the street. His car was not out front and she was confident that she'd seen it this morning outside the shop in its usual place. Of course, that didn't mean anything since he was the Dark One. He could appear anywhere he wanted in a cloud of magic within seconds. But she was willing to bet that if he'd given the Evil Queen that water then his concentration was not who was at the house. Besides, it wasn't as if she didn't have a reason she could be here.

"What if he comes back?" Flynn asked nervously in the backseat.

She sighed and took a deep swallow. "Then drive away and call me inside."

"And let him catch you?" Rapunzel blanched.

"Why not?" she shrugged. "I'm carrying his child so he won't hurt me and I'll…I'll say I'm just getting more of my things, I didn't exactly leave with a lot and it wouldn't hurt to pick some up anyway."

"Great so this working rests on only half a lie," Flynn exclaimed sarcastically.

She took another deep breath and didn't wait for anymore opinion or complaint. "Call me if you see him!" she declared opening the door. From behind her, she could hear Rapunzel yell at her to actually make sure she picked up clothes while she was inside.

She walked quickly across the street, looking both ways for traffic and for neighbors, though feeling certain no one would call Rumple to tell her she was back. Inside her bag she pulled out her keys, suddenly thankful that she had yet to give any of them back. This was nothing but chance, she acknowledged that at the first step on the property she took. She was assuming that nothing had changed, that he hadn't put any protection spells on the house or enchantments that would alert him to her presence. And this entire plan hung on the hope that he hadn't locked her out of one very important place.

She unlocked the door quickly, stepped inside, and felt tears swim in her eyes once more. Nothing had changed. At least physically. In fact, looking around the house, looking at the dust on the tables and the floor…it looked exactly as she'd left it. This house…it had so many memories for her, there were many good ones, but there were also a lot of bad ones as well. Something that had always bothered her was that it was either her house or their house. He never really seemed to stay here when she was gone, he always really seemed to live at the shop, which was a shame because she did love this house. She didn't love what it represented for them and for their life, but it was a lovely and beautiful house when it was inhabited and had love. Big, certainly! Too big for the two of them, even for the three of them. But it was still a house she loved and seeing it neglected always seemed to hurt her heart and made her itch to dust and organize it properly, making it a suitable home once more.

But fortunately it was these very signs that she was also happy to see at the moment. Rumpelstiltskin wasn't here and hopefully he wasn't going to be back. But Rapunzel had a point on her way in. Just in case, she had to make things look good! So instead of going to where she wanted to first, she took herself upstairs to the bedroom. Now this looked different than she'd left it. Not in an obvious way. He hadn't moved furniture or shifted the closets or anything like that. But it was less dirty, more lived in. Her fogged over rose still sat on her nightstand, her closet was intact, his side of the bed was ruffled as if it had been slept in but hastily made, but her side was almost perfect. Almost. There was a small dimple on her side of the bed, as if something Rumpelstiltskin's size had sat there. Pining?

No. She turned away from the mesmerizing scene and tried to remember why she was here and what she was doing. If he was pining he had no one to blame but himself for the mistakes that he'd made. He'd known long ago the choices he had to make, and he'd made all the wrong ones even after promises that he'd changed and was different.

Inside her closet, she dug around for another suitcase and this time, instead of throwing random clothes inside of her bag without really looking she managed to actually put some decent choices, skirts, dresses, even a few pairs of shoes that she had longed for. She didn't know just how much her limited wardrobe had bothered her until she felt a sigh of relief at having more with her. And now…now was exactly what she'd planned for. Now she had to make it good. She laid a few more clothes out on her bed for good show, but knowing there were no other suitcases in their room she went back downstairs with the one she'd already packed. She left it in the front entry way and then made her way to the basement. She swallowed again as she reached out to touch her hand to the enchanted handle. She felt heat radiate under her palm…then a feeling of rapid cool.

She breathed a sigh of relief and pulled the door open. Inside she found what she was looking for…the books he didn't keep at his shop. They contained Dark Magic, his notes, personal spell books. These were not spells or books to be toyed with, thus why he kept them locked away under enchantments that she could still access. Clearly, he hadn't thought he needed to remove the clearance he'd given her more than a year ago when Pan had been in Storybrooke. She was glad for that.

This was the place that she needed to be. It was Dark Magic here, there was no doubt, but if those Rivers in the Underworld were anything, it was Dark Magic. No one had done more research on Dark Magic than he had. And if he had risked his life taking water from the River of Souls in the Underworld then there had to have been research done.

She went to the shelves, looked over the titles and finally pulled one out.  _"And how many answers have you found using the books I keep in the basement?"_ The voice rang out so clear in her head that she nearly jumped around to try and find him, but she was alone. That sentence. It was a memory from a fight they'd had in the Underworld over Light and Dark Magic. He'd meant it to be accusatory, that she shouldn't fault him for his magic because she had to resort to these books. For a moment she considered putting it back, proving him wrong, that she could find the answers elsewhere!

But she couldn't. This wasn't about using Dark Magic this was about fighting it. And sometimes to fight it you had to go to the source. She'd seen that water and what it could do to people. Gaston was one thing, but innocent people? Rapunzel, Flynn, Granny, even Archie! She'd die before she saw them exposed to that. She wasn't trying to fight fire with fire, she was just trying to learn about fire so she could fight it with water. Knowledge was power.

So she sat on her stool, took out a couple of big books and started to read. And read. And read. And read. Book after book. Journal after journal…

Nothing.

There was a lot of information about water. She learned how to incorporate it into spells, how to curse oceans, how to mask the smell, look, and taste of poison as water, she even learned how to move a river, and how to enchant them. But there was nothing on the River of Souls or even the Underworld until…

She opened what a appeared to be a journal written in his own hand. There were many of them, probably one of the Chronicles they'd explored a month ago when they were looking for answers as to what Hook and Emma were up to when they were Dark Ones. She would have put it aside after just looking over it but something caught her eye. "May 6, 2013 The Land Without Magic, Storybrooke". That date...it was just days after their marriage. And…when she looked at the page before it was dated over a year ago! That meant…this was just after they were back from the Enchanted Forest! After they had thought they'd defeated Zelena! Her eyes scanned the pages for information and she found…confusion. These notes were not as precise and organized as his previous notes. These were rushed and hasty. Instead of being bullet pointed these were in paragraphs. He was careful. He didn't talk about himself or what was going on, he wasn't sentimental like that and he was far too smart should this fall into the wrong hands. But everything was factual. He began talking about dust he'd collected to neutralize magic.

She knew what day this was! This was the day Elsa had been freed from the urn! Five months ago seemed like forever, but she remembered it because they'd only been married for a couple of days and it was the first time he'd decided to do research that night instead of join her in bed! He'd said he was trying to figure out a safe way to store it when he'd finally come up to greet her that morning. Was this what he'd been doing all night?!

This post was riddled with information and experiments on the dust but then…sketches. On and on the entry went for almost twenty pages. A lot of it was about the dust, but the sketches…the clock tower in the middle of Main Street was too close to be a random sketch. It was the Underworld. Five months ago…this must have been from his first visit to the Underworld, after Pan had been destroyed. There were notes, but they were frantic, the writing so small and scribbled it was difficult to read, it was very unlike him. But she recognized names. "Peter Pan-Pawn Shop", "Blind Witch-Granny's", "The Woodcutter-Carpenter". She hadn't a clue what those lists meant or were for. But reading on she also found Hades name, Milah, and…Colette?! Her mother? Why was her mother listed?! And…

The River of Souls.

That was it. Just the name. River of Souls. There was a little star next to it that she would never have expected him to write down, but there it was! What did all this mean?!

She jumped when her phone rang in her bag. She felt like she was nearly having a heart attack but all things considered she knew that she couldn't waste time to collect herself. She grabbed it, checked the caller, and felt her heart jump into her throat all over again. Rapunzel.

She quickly moved the books she'd taken back where they were and grabbed the suitcase she'd picked out when she got down before heading up the stairs and answering on the fifth ring.

"Is he here?" she questioned huffing up the stairs to collect what she'd left on the bed.

"No, what took you so long to answer?!"

She stopped on the stairs going upstairs. "You called, I thought I had to leave! I put everything back! Why did you-"

"You need to come outside right now!" she insisted.

"If I have time-"

"Right now, Belle!" she screamed before hanging up. With a frustrated sigh she looked between the bedroom and the front door, then continued up the stairs, threw what she had on the bed into the suitcase in record time and bound back down the stairs, grabbing the second suitcase on her way out. It was only after she locked the front door and turned around that she realized something was going on. Rapunzel and Flynn were out of the car, shielding their eyes from the sun, looking into the sky.

Curious she collected her things from the porch and ran across the street to the car.

"What is wrong with you?" she hissed at the pair of them.

"That!" Flynn pointed.

She set her cases down and covered her eyes to stare up into the sky with them. She gasped to see someone up there. High in the sky, riding on what looked like a broom was a woman in all black. From the tail of the broom smoke came out and spelled out a chilling message that she was certain all in Storybrooke would be able to read.

"Mills Mausoleum, 1 hour. Snow White and Prince Charming will meet their doom-or you will."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter is...a lot of things, to be honest. I wouldn't call it a filler chapter, but I would call it a necessary chapter. The problem is that you won't see some of the necessity of this chapter until the next fiction. Unlike A&E I actually plan, and I'm using this chapter to set something up, a big discussion, for the next fiction. Can you guess how? But aside from that...at the beginning of the season, Belle had one small tiny suitcase, and I felt that she had too many clothes come out of it. So I used this as an excuse to get her some more. Also I hemmed and hawed for weeks about how to get the Evil Queen's message out to the world because I just couldn't see the Charmings or even Leroy running around and telling the town "Hey, there's going to be a showdown and if they don't show up then you die so you might want to go to that." It didn't make sense to me how all of that happened. So I had The Evil Queen take a page out of Zelena's book and write it in the sky. But how to get them to see it if they were inside doing research...just trust me on this, it was a nightmare to figure out. But this seemed the easiest way to get it all done all around.
> 
> Yes, I heard that Tiana is coming to Once Upon a Time this season. Honestly, it doesn't mess anything up for me. I've referred several times to Rapunzel having a cousin that cooks; she called her "Titi" in an earlier chapter. It really doesn't screw things up though. I wrote that character ambiguously just in case something like this happened. As far as Collette being mention in the Underworld passage...that's up for your interpretation. I have a theory that Collette didn't die in the ogre attack (with very little evidence for that) and as you know, I like to build safeties into my fictions to prevent coming back and editing. That's just one of them, but I doubt that's going to be an issue from here. So you can take from Rumple's writings what you will. Peace and Happy Reading!


	31. Twelve Hours Later

The three of them stared into the sky at the words for only a few seconds before it seemed like the reality of the message hit them far harder than it would anyone else in the town. They actually knew what was going on.

Almost immediately Rapunzel looked at Flynn. "Where is your sister?"

"At school…" he answered absentmindedly, still staring up at the message. Flynn's sister, the one that he'd saved, the rescue that had brought him and Rapunzel together. She'd never actually met his sister, or knew her name, though her understanding was that she was about the age of a teenager simply because the girl didn't follow Flynn around and he never talked about a need for a babysitter. He was her primary caregiver now that the witch holding her captive was gone.

"Her and a hundred other kids here in Storybrooke…" Rapunzel pointed out making her blood chill. This was the moment that research wasn't going to help them anymore. One hour wasn't enough time to figure this out and frankly she was beginning to sense there was nothing that could ward against that water. This was a time for preparation.

"We need to go," she muttered throwing her suit cases in the trunk and getting into the car. "We need to go now."

"Where?" Rapunzel asked as she and Flynn both snapped to attention.

Where, indeed. They were going to have to make several stops, nothing that she was sure would actually help but might buy them more time. First, they were to take her to the cemetery and then they were to drive in the opposite direction, contact everyone they knew, put water aside for reserves, something they could be sure would not be contaminated. They were to go to the schools, pick up Flynn's little sister and make sure they turned their water off and not to drink anything unless they could be sure the water was safe, she told them to do the same with Granny and the streets on Main Street. No one should drink or touch anything from the faucets after an hour unless someone gave the all clear. She didn't know how the Evil Queen planned on getting that water to everyone, but the more they could prepare the better.

Hopefully this wouldn't even be anything that came to pass. After all, this wasn't exclusively her failure, everyone was working on a solution to this! Her, Snow White, Emma, Charming, Regina, even the Blue Fairy had stopped by their home! She hadn't found something, maybe they had. She just couldn't imagine Snow and David handing the fate of the town over to the Evil Queen without a fight.

"How will you get back to town?" Rapunzel asked when they dropped her off a few moments later.

"Don't worry about that," she dismissed. "Just do what I told you and…one last thing…call my father. Make sure he knows. Please?"

Rapunzel said nothing. Just agreed immediately with a nod of her head as Flynn crawled ungracefully into the front seat. She promised she'd keep in touch and call her when she knew something, and then the pair of them sped away. As she turned to head toward the Mausoleum she stopped, utterly shocked, at what she saw.

People. Lots of people. Surely not the entire town, but still a fair number of them had turned out and she shook her head in disbelief. It was just like last time, when Zelena had threatened Regina and invited the entire town to come and watch or else they would be next. So, naturally, they'd turned up to watch the deadly spectacle. She would never understand this mentality. She supposed there was something to facing an enemy head on, but turning up to watch like it was a day at the movies was something else entirely, especially when the opposition was threatening to harm others!

Of course she was here, but she would have been here no matter what the Evil Queen posted in the sky. These were her friends and no matter what she did or how this turned out she would be here for them but if she had no connections to these people at all, she would have done exactly what she'd told Flynn and Rapunzel, gather loved ones, prepare for the worst, warn who you can, and get as far away as possible!

She made her way through the crowd, keeping her eyes peeled for someone, anyone really, that she knew so she could ask what the plan was and if there was anything that she could do before the Evil Queen arrived, but it was already too late. At the head of the crowd, a fair distance from where she had popped out, she saw the others. Henry, Regina, Emma, Killian, they were all there, except for…

Snow and David were not there and she felt herself sigh in relief. That was a good thing. That meant that there was a plan of some kind! She knew they'd think of something!

A fair distance from them all, at the front of the crowd pacing in front of the Mausoleum was the Evil Queen. It was the first time that she'd really seen her since she'd heard about what happened and now that she did she found her heart racing the same way it had around Regina when she'd just been freed from the Asylum. The Sorceress looked just as she remembered her. Long flowing gown, jewels, and a deadly scowl visible upon her face as she paced looking more and more stressed with each turn she completed. That wasn't good. It reminded her almost immediately of the time that they'd all been in the Enchanted Forest, staying in the castle, working against Zelena. It was never a good thing when she was stressed to the point of pacing. Was she worried that they weren't here for the same reason she was relieved? Because she feared there was a plan? Something she'd overlooked? Or could it be because she really didn't want to do what she'd threatened. The serum was supposed to split the good bit from the bad bit but obviously Jekyll had retained some of his evil since he'd attacked her. Was it unreasonable to think that the Evil Queen could have a shard of Regina's newfound compassion?

"People of Storybrooke," the words were muffled. It seemed that Regina had finally quit pacing but now had her back to them as she addressed them all…before finally turning around. Yes, maybe it was unreasonable. "My people…I'm so glad you accepted my invitation because this is about you. If Snow White doesn't show up in the next five minutes, I'm going to share a little treat with you all. A taste of water from the River of Lost Souls."

The people around her gasped in shock and surprise, though she was sure that half of them didn't even know what they were gasping at! So, this was really happening. Rumple…he might not be the responsible party but he was certainly the enabler! "Looks like you don't have to worry about that blasted river water, do you?" she glanced over her shoulder to find Zelena whispering accusations behind her back. "Not since your husband struck a deal with the Evil Queen."

A deal with the Evil Queen. This again. She felt like it was all she ever heard about anymore! Rumpelstiltskin and his dealings with the Evil Queen!

"I don't care about the deals that my husband makes," she whispered back in anger. Honestly, he hadn't told her anything! She was just as clueless as the rest of the town, just as ignorant as he always wanted her to be to his actions.

"Are you sure?" Zelena questioned with a small smirk. "I mean, wouldn't like to know the rest of what those two have been up to?" She looked away and offered only a small knowing laugh.

It was obvious the witch knew something that she didn't, but her mockings didn't sound like her normal taunts…they sounded as if they were meant to tempt her. "If there is something you want to say to me Zelena then say it."

Zelena shrugged. "I don't suppose you've ever heard of a little thing called the Shears of Destiny," she whispered with an eye roll. "Bloody stupid name if you ask me."

The Shears of Destiny. Yes, she knew about those. She'd read about them just this morning as well as while she'd been in the Underworld. Maybe even before that! They were an important part of the same Mythology Hades had been born of. Supposedly the Shears were owned by the Fates and they possessed the ability to cut the lifeline of mortal souls when it was "their time to go". But rumor had it that if mortals got their hands on the Shears they could do something far worse than cut ties from living and dead.

"Rumple has the Shears!" she exclaimed in surprise. "How do you know?"

"My sister told me, was rather happy to admit it this morning, of course it's not difficult to be happy when I saw her this morning with her legs practically wrapped around the waist of your husband."

She felt her eyes go wide in shock at what she was insinuating. Was it just words? A suggestion meant to make her, frankly, feel like she wanted to vomit from something other than the morning sickness, or was she testifying as a witness like she claimed. Zelena could be crazy, without a doubt, but in her experience she rarely lied especially when there was nothing for her to gain from-

"Wait!" she turned around with the rest of the crowd and suddenly drew a deep intake of breath. Snow and David were here! What was the plan?

"Well, well, well. Look who's right on time," the Evil Queen taunted as the people parted for them to make their way to her. "I should've known you'd show up, even without your precious sapling."

Sapling…she was straining to hear their response…straining to figure out what was going on and why the Evil Queen thought that they'd bring a sapling with them, but the Charmings were not talking to address a crowd. They were talking to the Evil Queen and the Evil Queen only. But obviously, some could hear her. It appeared that Emma, Killian, Regina, even Henry had all heard what they'd said for they took a step closer. Emma took two steps and was looking far more horrified than the nervous she was before!

"Mom?" she heard Emma squeak out across the cemetery.

Snow turned to her daughter. "Emma," David looked behind him at their daughter as well and she had no idea what plan they were playing at but she knew the stance that they'd taken. They were a united front. The way people in love were meant to be. Unconsciously she wrapped her arm around her stomach. "Most people go through life never knowing where their paths will take them, but somehow we always do," Snow smiled looking at her husband for a moment before looking back at her daughter. "It's always to each other and then back to you."

"Are you sure?" Regina breathed.

"Yes," David responded confidently. "Lift the protection spell." Lift the protection spell? She looked from them to Regina and suddenly realized…there was no plan. This was their plan…they were surrendering?! She opened her mouth but no words came out. Her heart was beating as Regina made the motion that made their chests glow white for a few seconds. They turned toward the Evil Queen, hands joined, smiles on their faces…as they took their final steps toward her.

The Evil Queen was not private, not like the Charmings at been. She made a show of reaching forward and plunging her hands into their chests simultaneously and extracting…two halves of a single heart. Snow's heart. So they had really done it! She had always heard, of course, of how they'd cast the curse and both lived to tell the tale, but she had never actually seen the proof of it as she was not. They had existed on one heart since Snow cast the curse!

And now?

Now the Evil Queen finally had what she'd wanted.

"I've dreamt of this moment for so long, Snow White," The Evil Queen chuckled looking down at the hearts. "I'd wake up still feeling the grit of your crushed heart clinging to my palms. But that ending isn't poetic enough, is it?"

She drew a breath at her words. This wasn't about to be as easy as they'd all expected. And she was foolish for thinking it would be…this was the Evil Queen. Now what?

"I want to give you...my pain...the pain of being alone. And since I couldn't quite accomplish that by killing you...I've come up with something much more cruel."

In one sudden and angry, almost violent gesture she had slammed the two hearts back into their chests. The world seemed to slow as she waited for what would happen, all around her everyone seemed to be holding their breath collectively knowing that it just couldn't be this easy!

And then…Snow White fell to the ground. Or perhaps crumbled was a far more accurate word. But there was something odd about how she had fallen…she could tell she wasn't dead. She just looked…

David moved to her side immediately and chuckled after looking her over. "A sleeping curse?" he pronounced. "That's never kept us apart before."

"This one has a little twist," The Evil Queen corrected. With a wave of her hand Snow White vanished in a cloud of purple smoke. "You say you always find her. Well, start looking, Shepherd. And let's see what happens when you do."

The Evil Queen used that same purple smoke to disappear from the cemetery and then all hell broke loose.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really hate writing chapters like this. The chapters where Belle is a witness but not actually involved, can't even really hear all of the dialogue. They just don't translate well. And when you pair them with the fact that this scene was kind of all over the place, first the Swan/Mills clan, then Belle and Zelena, then the Charmings, then the Evil Queen, it's difficult to figure out where the focus is and fill in the gaps accordingly. I hope that you'll find Zelena's conversation with Belle acceptable, that is believable. There is more of it to come in the next chapter, but I think it was obvious from the rest of this episode that their conversation did not end when the camera panned away. I had some blanks to fill in. So I hope it seems in character enough for them. My basic belief about those two is that they really aren't friends as so many seem to suggest. I think they are happy to use each other when it is convenient for one or both of them, but I don't really see them going to the movies together. In the Underworld Belle used Zelena because she was close to Hades and she needed her to convince her to give up her child's contract. Here Zelena's act of telling Belle this isn't so much the act of a friend as someone who is incredibly jealous and sees Belle as a means to an end. Later...well, let's get to later when we get there shall we?
> 
> Peace and Happy Reading!


	32. A Line Clearly Drawn

In the Evil Queen's absence people quickly looked around them as if expecting to find her standing behind them. Belle didn't look around; she knew that she was gone without a doubt. But she was tired of trying to figure things out from over here when the people she who knew were on the other side of the crowd. So she fought the panicking crowd and moved quickly over to where Emma, Regina, and David were crowded, still staring at the ground absolutely baffled.

"She's gone!" she exclaimed coming up to them.

"Obviously," Regina drawled.

"So we can track her right," Emma suggested. "My mom, we can find her like before?"

Regina shook her head. "It's the Evil Queen, she'll have thought of that already."

"How would she know?"

"Because I know!" she pointed out. "A tracking spell was how they found each other the last time and finally defeated me and I learn from my mistakes…or…she does…we do..."

"So then how do we find Grandma?" Henry asked.

There was silence for a few seconds as they all looked around at each other, all searching their magical knowledge for a way that might lead them to Snow White in a way the Evil Queen wouldn't have warded against before-

"The old-fashioned way," David concluded. "We look. People of Storybrooke!" he hollered into the crowd. It did little to get their attention at first, but like a wave she watched as the people in the front gazed up at David, then the people behind them, and then behind them, and finally after a solid moment of waiting, David climbed up onto a gravestone and looked over at them.

"Hope is not lost! Hope can never be lost as long as we don't lose faith and are determined to defeat the Evil Queen. We've done it once before, together! We can do it again! But we need your help! The answer is not here, in this cemetery. It's out there; in Storybrooke! And with your help, we can solve this. Go! Search the town. Look in your homes, the places you work, the schools, the stores, anywhere you go day to day. Snow White could be anywhere. Help us find her and we will be one step closer to defeating the Evil Queen once and for all I promise you that!"

The speech didn't exactly have the desired effect. In fact, the ending, while she knew it was meant to sound encouraging and triumphant, had the same feeling of the air being let out of a balloon. Some seemed roused and interested, even determined in a way, but others, most of the crowd, walked away, shaking their heads, clearly uninterested in involving themselves in this battle.

"Please!" David cried with a little less gusto. Before he'd been a prince commanding soldiers. Not he was a beggar pleading for help. "We promise protection for you and your family, for everyone who helps! Do not fear the Evil Queen…"

But promises of protection didn't make anyone turn around and reconsider their choice. And on the other side of her she heard Regina mutter that Snow always had been better with a crowd.

It was fine. She'd never fought with them against the Evil Queen but she'd been on their side here numerous times against evil and they'd always come out on top. She would help them. She may as well. Zelena had said she had nothing to worry about because Rumple had made some kind of deal with the Evil Queen about her and-

At the memory of the conversation she'd had with Zelena she glanced around her and found the red head beginning her trek back home. She didn't even glance at the others, just quickly took off to follow her. "Wait, wait!" she cried tugging on her sleeve so she would slow down. "What do the Shears of Destiny have to do with any of this?"

"Oh! So, you do know what they do."

"I've done my research."

"Course you have…well it doesn't have to do with any of this. But it might interest you that in exchange for certain favors of the Evil Queen there…your husband is in possession of them."

"But…" in possession of the Shears of Destiny but it had nothing to do with this. What was going on? "But why would he want-"

"Oh keep up, will you. You know what they do to a person. And since we both know he'll never sever his own destiny, that only leaves…" Zelena glanced down at her belly and she felt her stomach drop.

"Our child."

"Well of course…the way things are going, history is bound to repeat itself unless he does something about it. I wouldn't be surprised if the moment the child is born he cuts the child off from his future to ensure his child stay with him. Who could ever learn to love a beast like that without magical assistance?"

"Belle, we're heading back to search the town you want a ride?" Emma questioned moving closer to her. She most certainly did.

She felt like she was living in a foggy hazy mess of life, like she wasn't living in this world but was only a ghost occupying space as she piled into the bug with Killian, Henry, and Regina and they drove to town. The others were talking about a game plan, dividing the town up, thinking of places they could search, considering their next steps now that they didn't have to worry about the water. Her mind was elsewhere, still thinking of the conversation that she'd had with Zelena.

Was it true? Was Rumple going to try and cut their child from his destiny in order to keep him by his side. In a perfect world, the answer was "no". But she'd said it this morning, he wasn't acting like the man that he could be. He was acting like the Dark One, the Beast. The same beast that had caged her with the very person who wanted her dead! No…Zelena was right. He was a man driven by his own fear and the greatest he would have would be that history might repeat itself. He would do this if it meant keeping their son by his side for the rest of his life, but all that would make it would be a cursed half life. She wasn't about to allow that!

All she saw was red. What she felt was rage driven by fear, a fear that this was what he intended to do, that their child wasn't even born yet and already the worst thing she could have anticipated was already coming true. Their child was in danger from his own father. No, she knew that Rumple had no intention of harming the child, he'd already lost one son he wouldn't put himself through that again.

When they finally stopped in town David and Emma got out of the truck and the others got out of the bug and sprinted for their various destinations. She should search the library, she knew it better than anyone else, but when she stared at the library all she saw was the Pawn Shop across the street. If he hadn't been at the cemetery or at the house then she knew where he would be. And David did say she should search everywhere.

Her legs were carrying her there before she'd ever made the choice to go. With a boldness and determination she hadn't shown for with him since that day on the docks she let herself into his shop and found him at the counter. He was looking at the sonogram that she'd sent him and somehow that only made her burn more.

"Belle," he smiled looking almost breathless as he held it in his hand and looked down at it in admiration. "I've been meaning to thank you for this."

"Zelena told me about you and the Evil Queen," she accused, first. She was hoping, more than anything she was hoping, that he would look shocked and surprised and maybe even confused by her words. If he was then maybe it wasn't true and if it wasn't true then perhaps everything else that she'd said had been a lie! But he didn't look surprised. She'd always been able to tell when he looked guilty and right now she could tell that he was guilty of all of it. She resisted the urge to vomit at the thought that now she knew what he'd been doing with his days and nights, and the Evil Queen, other than "thanking her". Of all the things he'd done, of all the people he could do it with…

"Well, then," he shrugged. "I know it's trite to say it doesn't mean anything."

No, of course it didn't because it was clear there was very little that did mean anything to him! If he was so intent on putting their family back together and this was how he intended to prove it, then all he was really succeeding at was giving her more reasons not to come back to her. And-

That wasn't important at the moment. She had to fight to control her anger and remember that his relationship with the Evil Queen was not the reason she was here because it wasn't about them anymore. She remembered that. Did he?

"Oh, I-I don't care about what you do right now or with whom you do it," she lied. "But she also told me about the shears. Now, that...that I do care about. She said that you're going to use them on our son the first moment you can, the moment that he's born, to cut him off from his future." And there it was again. She might have embellished her story a bit to get the truth from him, but the look on his face seemed to confirm it all. Zelena had been right!

"Well, I won't allow that. You don't get to tamper with his life just to keep him from hating you. I forbid it."

"Look..." he interrupted quietly. "The things I do…they're driven by the love of my son."

"That excuse, that...that doesn't work anymore," she snapped. She was tired of hearing that he did what he did out of love! It wasn't true, he wasn't thinking of doing this out of love, he wasn't with the Evil Queen because he loved her, he hadn't locked her on that boat or made deals with half of the town out of love! It was fear! He acted out of fear and justified it with love and that was what made it so terrible! "If you were pure evil, like the queen, then maybe I could forgive you because that's all you could be. But you...you do feel love, and you could be a good man if you tried." But he didn't. He never tried and he was all the worse for it! Their son would be all the worse for it. "You want your son's love. Don't take it. Be worthy of it."

Tears came to his eyes as the silence between them stretched on to what felt like an infinity. For all of two seconds she dared to hope that she might have gotten through to him. That he might be inspired. But that just wasn't his way.

"And what if I fail?" he choked out.

She fought back the urge to snort at such a statement. He had to do this because he might fail? That was a typical response! It explained his behavior, but it didn't excuse it.

"Listen to yourself," she hissed. "That's just you all over, isn't it? Afraid of failing. That's worse than being evil. That's...that's just being too weak to be good," she pointed out. Her thoughts properly voiced she turned to go and look for Snow White.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, like most Rumbellers, I also have a lot of opinions about this chapter. But as I have with other chapters in this fiction, I feel compelled to keep them to myself. If anyone should really want those opinions, you are welcome to send me a private message. But otherwise, I'll be keeping my thoughts concealed.
> 
> I hope the first part of this chapter is okay. David is usually pretty simple for me to write, just because he seems like a really simple guy, but I found myself really struggling with the speech I had him make in the first bit. I hope it at least sounds in character. Also I hope my reasoning for why they do and do not do certain things is also okay. I know that bothered me a lot that throughout this season, or half season. They seemed to ignore the most obvious of solutions, like the tracking spell, and I feel like I understood why, but still thought that they should add something to explain it into the script. With Regina's declaration that she won't do it because she would have thought of it already I hope that is obvious enough. Peace and Happy Reading!


	33. Parental Concerns

All was not well. Far from it. She helped, with Granny and Archie and a few dwarves she met up with, to search Main Street for the missing Snow White. The call came not long after they finished checking over the library. It was Regina, telling her that she should stop because Snow White had been found…and it wasn't good.

The Evil Queen had said there would be a twist to the curse, and it was a cruel one. Once they had located Snow in the woods, David had instinctively leaned down to kiss her away...only to fall into a deep sleep of his own the next moment. The curse did not just affect one of them; it affected both of them. When one was awake, the other would be asleep. Until the curse was broken, they would never truly be together as a couple.

"How are they taking it?" she questioned as she stopped the search.

"Honestly? I don't think it's all sunk in yet. David doesn't know obviously, Snow is awake right now, she seemed devastated initially but then dealt with it the way she does anything and started giving orders. We're moving him back to the loft where we can control the environment a little bit better and make sure that no one can harm them while they are vulnerable, then we'll wake David up, explain it to him, and begin to find an answer for how to wake the pair of them up."

"Well…I guess I know what my job will be," she sighed looking back at the library. Regina lowered her voice on the other end of the phone and told her that she was going to send some of her own private stores over to her in the morning, books that she owned on the subject. She didn't think that there was anything there, but maybe a new set of eyes could find something. Not much was known about the sleeping curse and that was why it was so terrible to be placed under one. And the Evil Queen…she'd learned from the past. Kisses from any kind of True Love would be enough to wake them up, including that of children, but when Emma tried to kiss David nothing happened. This curse was different.

Yes, of course she knew that. Her child had been the one to wake her up from the Sleeping Curse she'd been under and that was only in the dream world! But for it not to be working here in the real world…this wasn't going to be something found in a book, this was going to be a piece of magic custom made by the Evil Queen. She only hoped that the little she knew enough to try and decipher the riddle before her.

More than one riddle before her…

Her eyes automatically were drawn to the pawn shop where nothing had changed since she left there. She had another task before her, not just to solve this sleeping curse, but to solve the one that Rumpelstiltskin had placed before her. He still had the Shears of Destiny and while she would love to believe that her words could reach him, she hadn't had any effect on him now for a long time. As long as those Shears were in his hands then her child was in danger of having his future severed. Maybe there was something she could do to protect him, a spell or an enchantment that might protect the baby's fate from his father. What a terrible thing she had to do.

She let herself into the library and called Rapunzel. They were on the other side of town, in Flynn's apartment. They'd picked his sister up from school and had been filling bath tubs up with safe drinking water just as she'd instructed when she last saw them. The moment Rapunzel told them they could stop and that they were in the clear she heard a female voice let out a sigh of praise to God and it sounded like she turned on the tap to get a drink of water.

While Rapunzel worked on getting a ride home she went right back over to the books that she'd been using to read about the River of Souls. She didn't need anything other than what she had here, the River of Souls and the Shears of Destiny were the same mythology only this time she knew that they were called the Shears of Fate. A flip of a few pages was all she needed to find the sections that she needed most. The Fates.

_"The Moirai, sometimes called The Fates, are women outside of time and space, outside of good and evil. They are impartial, not there to judge the actions or lives of those they control; they simply weave the tapestry of life._

_"Though the sisters are responsible for the most intricate of connections of relationships among those in the nine realms they are most famous for being victims of theft, deception, and attempted murder. Each of the three sisters are responsible for a different aspect of the Tapestry of Life, and each of them have their own tools which have been stolen and replaced many times over by those who seek to control their power._

_"Clotho, the sister responsible for spinning the precious threads that represent each soul, has had her wheel stolen, captured, returned, and sometimes burned numerous times as it is believed that her wheel possesses the ability to give life to the thread created. Perhaps the most famous story is that of a woman from another realm, a cobbler's wife, stricken with infertility, she stole the wheel and spun thread, hoping the thread would manifest as children of her own. It was Hades, the God of Death, working under his brother Zeus's orders who finally located the wheel and dreamt up the punishment for the woman. The extra thread did result in the birth of many children, but none for the wife of the cobbler. Hades took the souls of the parents of those children for himself and Zeus left the poor wife with the children. A few months later Hades claimed the woman's husband, leaving her widowed with nothing but the reminder of her terrible sins._

_"Lachesis, sometimes called the Allotter, is responsible for measuring out each thread of life with her special rod. She is extremely intelligent but desperate for companionship. Many men and women have courted her for the opportunity to alter the time they are given with loved ones. Notably, a woman from the Realm Without Magic, plotted and seduced Lachesis when she learned that the man she was to marry would perish before their wedding day. As Lachesis slept, the woman attempted to take the rod and steal more time for her betrothed, but she was caught in the act by Lachesis sister Atropos. The man's life was cut short, just as intended, and after involving herself with a son of Zeus, the woman's life was too._

_"Atropos, the third and final of the sisters, is responsible for cutting the threads spun by Clotho and measured by Lachesis. It is her that chooses the manner of death, and cuts the thread, freeing it from the Tapestry of Life, when the time is right. As her tool, The Shears of Destiny, are the only thing powerful enough to sever mortal ties, many have stolen them from her in attempts to spare the life of loved ones as well as end the lives of enemies early. However, in the hands of mortals, the Shears lack the power they do in Atropos hands. Only she is capable of using them in the way they are meant to be and therefore the stolen shears are nearly useless. Zeus, wielding his lightning and showing affection for Atropos, simply makes her new ones and she continues on with her work._

_"With threads spun, measured, and cut, the women spend most of their days at their looms weaving together the giant tapestry we call The Tapestry of Life-"_

Over her shoulder she heard the library door open and close and Rapunzel call out her name.

"I'm in here!" she called back from the table. Rapunzel found her immediately, probably the only one to know this library as well as she did at the moment. She was, however, surprised to see that she was alone. "Did Flynn stay with his sister?"

"Yeah," she sighed. "She wanted some time with him. It's rare that she does so when she asks if they can hang out I leave them to it. Still looking at those books? I thought the water crisis was over?"

"It is-well…I never saw the Evil Queen get rid of whatever store of it she has so I suppose it's still out there for her to use but I also don't see any reason to really be afraid of it now that she has what she wants."

Rapunzel's eyes went wide with panic. "You've got to be kidding me. She killed Snow and David?!"

"No! No, sorry, it's nothing like that, she just…it's worse."

She explained to her what had happened, how the Queen had cursed them both to never be together, to feel her pain and loneliness. Rapunzel was heartbroken for them, or David at least, she was sure. He was always the one she felt attached to. But she vowed that she'd help her to figure out whatever would work to fix them when Regina's books arrived in the morning. But…

"I don't understand…if the books you need are Regina's why are you still reading about the water? Are you worried she'll use it?"

She shook her head and moved the book toward her. "I'm not reading about that."

She watched as Rapunzel's eyes scanned the pages she'd been reading. "The Fates?" she questioned. "You think they can help?"

She shook her head. "Not with Snow White, no, but…I ran into Zelena while I was at the cemetery and she had some…interesting news."

In hindsight, she probably could have and should have told Rapunzel about all that Zelena had told her about Rumple and about The Evil Queen, but two sentences into her tale it was obvious that was impossible. She was up out of her chair, she could hear her voice echo in the halls as her volume increased, and paced in a way she hadn't before, spewing out every vile thing that had passed through her mind since she'd first heard the news. Rapunzel was quiet, eventually she took her place in the chair and just watched her pace back and forth occasionally glancing across the street at the pawn shop. Rumpelstiltskin had done a lot of things in her life time, but this plan of his, using the Shears on their son…it was the worst of all of it.

"And you're sure that's his plan? That he really wants to use them on your son?! Maybe Zelena was lying."

"I hoped that too but he didn't deny it when I confronted him. If anything he confirmed it. 'Driven by the love of his son'?! He's driven by fear! That's all it is: fear. And he has the audacity to call it 'love'? I mean…doesn't he think I'm scared too? That I'm afraid I might fail him as well?! Children aren't libraries or homes easily taken care of. I have no idea how to be a mother and I never even wanted to be one until a few weeks ago! I don't know the first thing about having children, or taking care of babies full time, or check-ups and shots, and school, and homework, or puberty! I can't even come up with a way to protect him from Rumple! Doesn't he know that I'm just as scared of failure? But to resort to something like what these shears can to do?!

"I don't know what kind of mother I'll be but I know that I want to try! And him…he'll be happy taking the easy way out! Just like he always does!"

She had to finally stop and take a breath, to let the tears she felt gathering in her eyes recede before she actually cried them out. She wanted to try. But if she couldn't protect him from Rumple then maybe she'd already failed.

"Okay," Rapunzel sighed gently. "First of all, you are going to be a great mother. No one knows how to do any of this and I'm sure they are all just as scared as you are, but they do it every day without managing to mess up their kids. It'll be the same for you, you just have too many hormones rushing through your veins right now."

She snorted because that all seemed so simple and maybe it was, but her life, her child's life would never be simple because of who his father was. As much as she hated to admit it, Rumple had been right about that. "Do any of those children have the Dark One for a father?" she sniffled. Rapunzel didn't answer, just continued to look at her with sympathy. "This…this is another level of Darkness for him, to even consider doing something like this to our child?! I have been with that man at his best and at his worst and I never would have imagined that he'd ever do anything like this."

Rapunzel smirked. "He's been worse than this?" she joked trying to lighten the mood.

"The week we were married he tried to murder the entire town behind my back," she stated with unadulterated seriousness.

"Ouch…" her friend murmured, quickly realizing the joke wasn't as funny as she'd hoped. She rose from the place she'd been sitting and made her way quickly over to her by the window. "We're going to figure this out okay," she whispered. "Neither of us are going to let anything happen to that child, at least not with those scissors. The rest of motherhood you'll have to figure out like any other parent does."

That comment did manage a smirk out of her until she realized that she didn't even know that. How did any parent learn how to be a parent? "What if I'm no good at it?" she whispered feeling an ache come from her stomach.

"I think so long as you worry about that…you'll be fine. If Regina can raise a kid like Henry, why can't you?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so ends the 6x07 chapters officially. This leaves us really with only a couple more to go. But before we get into the familiar stuff we have to take a side trip. There was some time that passed between 6x07 and 6x08, not a lot of it, but enough that the montage at the beginning of 6x08 that I had to include some other things. And here's the thing with Belle, she tries to be helpful. With David and Snow under the curse I could not see her just happy to sit on the sidelines with this, so we are going to see some experimenting, and finally, we are going to see one of the reasons I included Aurora and the Red Room arch. I never forget!
> 
> Thank you to Taisch for your comments on the previous chapter. Whoo! I was beginning to think I'd lost you there! Lots of opinions on what's going on here between Belle and Rumple, and I love reading them. I'll be interested to see how everyone feels about this chapter. I included it just because it really helped to go toward where I felt Belle's state of mind was. All this going on and what she's really afraid of is probably something everyone who has ever been a parent can relate to: what if I can't do this? Peace and Happy Reading!


	34. A Daring Hypothosis

She hadn't thought about it before she arrived, but now that she was here she knew. "Something's wrong."

"You're right," a voice called to her across the fiery room. "Something is wrong."

"You know?" she asked Aurora as she the flames bowed to her and she studied her surroundings carefully.

"The whole town is talking about it. But the question is where are they? If they're under a sleeping curse then they should be here with us!"

Yes, everything she knew about sleeping curses confirmed that. Where was Snow White? Or David? "Aurora…when you first found me you told me that you learned to walk in dreams, could you search all the places you know to try and find them?"

"If they're not here-"

"This isn't Regina, not the woman that we know, this is the Evil Queen, the worst part of Regina and…she said herself she learns from her mistakes. Take a look?" Aurora gave her an odd and unsure look, her eyes flicking to the pendant she wore around her neck before finding her eyes again. "It's alright," she assured her. "I'm not afraid anymore, not of this room, not when there is so much else to be afraid of. I'll wake myself up, you go."

Aurora still seemed unsure but a moment later she made a move as if to turn her back, but vanished before she could set her foot down. And that just left her, alone, in a room of flames, spending another night trying to wake herself up.

That task was not nearly as simple as Aurora made it sound. She tried several things to shake herself out of it. She closed her eyes, breathed deep, and repeated over and over again "there's no place like home" before opening them…and seeing nothing but the fiery room. She tried pinching herself and finally even slapped herself hard enough to cry out, but she stayed asleep through all of it. She paced back and forth, over and over telling herself that she could wake up, that she was the master over her body and no one else was.

But in the end she began to get the feeling she always did and when she opened her eyes it was morning and her stomach was lurching all over again. She stayed in bed, she stared up at the ceiling, she closed her eyes and willed the sickness to go away. Finally she got up, gathered her things, used the shower across the way, made some of the special tea that Jackie had made and moved back to the library as fast as she could. She still felt sick, but all things considered, staying at home in bed and waiting for it to pass was a luxury neither she, nor her baby could afford.

But she could tell from the look on Rapunzel's face when she first came in she was late. Regina was already stationed at a table in the back. "Finally," she snarled when she sat down. "I do believe I said I'd be here in the morning and…you look like hell."

She did her best to resist the urge to glare at the woman when she realized that she really had no room to talk. She looked like she'd been up all night. "You said you'd deliver books, last night, not yourself. I have morning sickness, and you don't exactly look much better!" she snapped back making herself comfortable.

"I have been working all night trying to find a way to get Snow and David free of this curse. So far…nothing."

"Nothing" seemed to be the theme of the day. Together they spent the day searching. Book after book after book she learned nothing. The sleeping curse was not exactly old magic, it had been used time and time again in countless Kingdoms and situations. Still there was something about it that was bothering her, something she dare not voice to Regina until she was sure. So, long after Rapunzel went to bed and they were in the library still doing research on nothing and finally called it a night, she glanced over to the Pawn Shop, not surprised to see the back light still on and his car parked out front despite the "closed" sign in the door.

"Look…Rumple…he has books on magic, lots of them stashed away in his basement. I used them just yesterday and…I don't know if he's been home since then and knows I was there and shut me out of the basement, but I could try to look there for us."

Regina stared down the street at the pawn shop for only a few seconds before shaking her head. "No, it's too much of a risk for what I'm sure would be no reward. Rumple was the one who told me about the apple sleeping curse they were under the first time around, The Evil Queen would know we'd go to him and…no offense, but with you on our side, she would know that he'd be a liability because of you. All you have to do is bat your eyes the right way and he'd tell us everything."

"I doubt that at the moment," she sighed, suddenly tearing her eyes from the shop and feeling very uncomfortable. She might have agreed at one point, but after all this she doubted that she ever had that kind of power over him the way even she thought she did.

"I don't," Regina argued. "Which means the Evil Queen knows it too. For now we'll just…we'll get some rest and see what we can find in the morning."

Right, rest, only that wasn't exactly her plan as she moved back to the Jolly Roger and all too eagerly changed so she could get into bed. She clutched the charm around her neck as she lay back and closed her eyes, before she knew it she was in the room. "Belle, there you are! You're late!" Aurora chastised coming for her.

"Regina and I were in the library late reading. Did you find them anywhere?"

"Nowhere, not in the dream realms, not in the netherworlds, I've checked all of the places that my abilities will allow me to go, I'm sorry, there is no sign of them or one or the other."

Aurora was sorry, she was not. Of course she was sympathetic but between what she'd read today and what Aurora was telling her she was beginning to put two and two together in her head and wanted desperately to talk to Regina, the problem was that she couldn't, she was still trapped in her body, a slave to sleep…and she was tired of it.

"Tell me how to get out of here. How do I wake myself up?"

"I've tried showing you before, it's not really something you can teach, it's just something that you do."

Something that she had to do. Something she had to do…like being here was just something she had to do. Now, being in the real world was something she had to do. What if it wasn't a thought or an action, what if it was more like a conscious. Like being in a dream and suddenly realizing you were asleep.

She breathed out a sigh of frustration and remembered how Aurora had told her the angrier she was about being here, the more it would help her to get free. So, eager and desperate to try something new, she lay down on the red floor in front of her, clutched the charm in her hand, and closed her eyes. In the darkness she thought not about David or Regina or waking up, but about her consciousness. About how the blackness beneath her eyelids looked, about the smell of the cabin, the sheets on her skin, the mattress under her body, she thought of the pillow supporting her head, the cool air that came from the sea, the rocking motion the current lapping against the boat caused.

Suddenly she realized the fingers clutching her charm were slack.

The realization made her jerk. And just like that she was back on Hook's ship, in the small light of morning.

For two small moments she felt the urge to celebrate swell up in her, but the light pouring into her room drowned it out. She had to call Regina, she had to tell her…

In scrolling through her phone her first contact was not Regina, but David. Maybe…just to be sure…

She wasn't sure if he would be awake or if it would be Snow, but she was developing a plan in her mind faster than she could believe and had just enough sense to stop herself before enacting it. It would be silly to go through with it when there was no proof. She called David. The phone rang a couple of times, just enough for her to think she'd have to call Snow instead, but eventually he let out a very confused "Belle?"

"David, hi…I…I didn't know if you would be awake."

"Yeah, Snow is asleep right now, I was just going to make her some pancakes and wake her up…can I do something for you?"

"Oh I just…I just had a question for you. Where do you go?"

"Go? Like, for work?"

"No, when you sleep. I know it's not the Red Room and Aurora can't seem to find either of you in the dreams so…where are you going when you sleep?"

David was quiet for a few seconds and she actually looked at her phone to make sure it was still connected before he answered "a forest".

"A forest. A forest like the one in Storybrooke or in the Enchanted Forest or…"

"No idea, just a forest. Everything seems so real, it's like…it's like the Underworld only gray instead of red."

She nodded to herself, considering all this. "And Snow…does she go to the forest too?"

"You know I haven't asked her we're still getting used to this thing, but she'll be awake in a few hours. You can have the day to ask her if you'd like."

She nodded again, suddenly more sure of what she needed to do. She hung up with David and sent a message to Regina telling her that she had to meet her at the library very soon. She got her things together and was half way to the library when she realized that so far she'd had no Morning Sickness. The only thing that could make that news better was if she could stop to acknowledge it, but Regina in the library, the realization that her pregnancy was moving forward, and Rumple's car across the street parked in the same place it had been were indications she couldn't rejoice in that simple fact. Time should have been on her side, but somehow she had the horrible feeling that it wasn't.

Once inside Rapunzel made a motion that she should go to the back. At the table they were at yesterday she found Regina, sitting, reading, hands in her hair looking just as tired and beat up as she had the day before. She had a moment of consideration, wondering if it was just too soon to suggest something like this but…she'd rather suggest it and be wrong than dwell and wonder for weeks as they tried to figure something else out.

"What if it's not a sleeping curse?" she suggested sitting in the chair opposite her.

Regina looked up at her with confusion. "Excuse me?!"

"What if this isn't a sleeping curse," she repeated.

"They're asleep, what other curse would it be?"

"Yes, I…I know they're asleep but…this doesn't have any of the trademarks of the traditional sleeping curse. There was no needle, no apple, no potion that was used in any way. One is asleep and one is awake, True Love's Kiss transfers it but doesn't cure it, and…they're not in the Red Room! I've been there two nights in a row now and had Aurora search all the places she can. We can't find them. I called David this morning and he says that when he is asleep he's in a forest.

"You said yourself that the Evil Queen learns from her mistakes. She would definitely consider the last sleeping curse a mistake so…what if this isn't something as traditional as the 'sleeping curse' but instead something the Evil Queen crafted all her own that only resembles the sleeping curse, something to throw us off. What if it's a curse of sleep rather than a sleeping curse."

Regina stared past her for some time contemplating she assumed what she had just suggested to her. "If that's true then things just got a lot more complicated," she muttered to herself.

She nodded and from her pocket withdrew the charm that she'd been using to get through the night. "I might have an idea."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just couldn't live with the idea that things were as clear cut and cute as they were in the show. We saw mostly Snow and David trying to live with their curse throughout their montage, but we didn't really see the others and truly "trying to live with it" seemed very out of character not just for Snow and David but for the others as well. I couldn't see them just sitting back over those days and saying "well, this is just the way that it is now." They don't give up that easily. So these chapters that I've crafted, I hope show just a little mini detour through what I hope is a scenario that everyone believes is a bit more in character for everyone.
> 
> Thank you so much to Taisch for the comments on the last chapter! Much appreciated, as always! I'm interested to hear what everyone will think of this arch. It did take some time to figure out how to fit it all together, but I rather like it. I hope you will too. Peace and Happy Reading!


	35. The Experiement

"Where do you go when you go to sleep?"

Snow seemed almost as thrown by the question as David had and stared oddly at her for some time before crossing her arms over her chest and answering "Storybrooke, this apartment actually. Why?"

Next to her Regina sighed. "Well there goes that hunch."

"What?"

"Wait!" she interrupted looking her over. "Is there anything odd about it? Anything strange about the place you go? Something that makes it different than here?"

Snow glanced between the two of them, and she could see the suspicion growing more and more in her eyes. "What is this all about?" she questioned desperately.

But Belle only shook her head and dismissed it. She wasn't as ready to give it up as Regina was. Hope wasn't lost. "Is there anything?" she pressed.

"Um…" Snow closed her eyes and shook her head. "It's…it's blurry and…I don't know, kind of hazy…gray, I guess?! Yeah…you know it's kind of like-"

"The Underworld but gray instead of red," she prompted recalling David's answer to the question.

"Yes…what does that mean?" she asked hopefully. It was her tone, the hopefulness of it, that made her stomach pitch forward in a way that had nothing to do with morning sickness. This was a hunch, nothing more, nothing less, did she really want to give her hope over a hunch?!

"Her theory is that the Evil Queen created a dream realm where the two of you go when you are under the curse. She wouldn't have thought to make two dream realms because it would have been more work and she never would have thought about either of you entering it and waking each other up with True Love's Kiss in the dream realm."

"True Love's Kiss works in the dream realm?" she questioned.

Belle nodded, remembering her own dream not long ago and the kisses that she'd received there. Her son. She remembered the face of her son so clearly it might as well have been yesterday. "It's how Rumple woke me from my own sleeping curse."

Snow White took a moment to consider her options and what all that meant before realization suddenly dawned on her. "So…David is dreaming of Storybrooke too?" she questioned looking over her shoulder at the form of her sleeping husband behind her.

"No," she answered quickly. She wanted to be clear that this was only a guess and prevent any kind of false hope. "David is in a forest somewhere, but doesn't know where."

Snow's eyes went wide. "There are miles of forest in Storybrooke! David could be out there and all I need is to track him down! I'm the best tracker we know."

"Now, hold on, it's not as simple as all that…"

"Regina what's not simple about it?!" she demanded grabbing her phone.

"For starters it's a hunch! We can't prove David is in the same dream realm as you. He could be in the Enchanted Forest, or Wonderland, he could be trapped in Neverland for all we know," she explained.

"Regina a hunch is all we have!" Snow exclaimed so loud that behind her baby Neal began to cry. It broke the look that Snow had in her eyes, the concentration she'd had directed at Regina and the idea faded as her instinct forced her to turn around and answer her child's cries but Regina was not compelled. She took advantage of her silence, pulled a vial of red liquid from her jacket pocket as well as the charm that she had shown to Regina earlier and set them beside her next to her pancakes.

"That is a potion made from poppy seeds, it will put you into a deep sleep that should last for a few hours at best! This charm…it should allow you to keep your conscious when you are under. Let me be clear…this potion is extremely dangerous if you take too much of it in. What we are offering you is not something you can try every day for the rest of your life. You get one chance to find David and if he's not there we move on. And let me once again stress to you, and you..." Regina stated turning her gaze on her as well. "The very possible scenario that he might not be in the same dream realm. You might not even wake up in Storybrooke! You might only be able to get to this place if you are under your sleeping curse. There are no guarantees here. This is just an experiment."

Snow White stared at the objects in front of her as she cradled and rocked Neal side to side. What she saw on her face was true consideration and though it wasn't happy, it was exactly what she wanted and needed to see on Snow's face at that moment. She knew exactly what she was getting into.

"Just let me call the school and tell them I'm not coming in today…I never should have volunteered to go back in the first place. Belle, Ashley should be coming over to pick Neal up in about forty-five minutes, until then would you mind-"

"Yeah, I'll…I'll watch him," she agreed moving forward to remove the boy from her arms. She liked Neal, and she may as well get the practice in."

"Alright," Regina sighed. "I'll call Emma and-"

"No!" Snow interrupted. "No…if this doesn't work I don't want to get Emma's hopes up. I don't want to distract her from what's important. And the same goes for David! I don't want anyone to tell David unless we know it works. He'll only want to try it himself and I'm the better tracker. If he is in Storybrooke's woods I'll find him. And if not…we'll move on."

She and Regina exchanged looks at her odd resolve but eventually the Queen nodded and agreed to the terms. Snow White called the school and explained that she wouldn't be in to work that day and to get a sub, lesson plans for the day were on her desk. She held Neal, changed him, and fed him as Snow White dressed in something comfortable and put the necklace over her head before taking the vial with red liquid with her to bed.

"We'll stay here until one or both of you wake up," Regina promised as she got herself positioned just right. She watched as Snow White nodded, took the drink, and then fell back almost too perfectly on her pillow. Regina plucked the vile out of her motionless fingers and moved back to the living room. "Now we wait…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, I'm sorry about this one. There is a lot happening in between 6x07 and 6x08 and this particular chapter just didn't really fit with anything else. I know it's short, but it wouldn't have been right to put it with the last chapter and when you read the next chapter I really don't think it would have been appropriate putting it there either. It's not really a filler chapter because what is going on and how they use this plan is important but there just isn't much here because I didn't think drawing it out would be in character. It's an important chapter; it's just short.
> 
> Thank you, Tasich, not just for your comments but for sticking around and reading. I know this isn't exactly fun, but I appreciate knowing that there are still people around to read! I consider it a personal favor. Thank you! Peace and Happy Reading!


	36. The Final Results

And wait they did. The beginning was easy enough, Snow hadn't exactly left instructions but Neal was only in pajama's before she'd gone to sleep and the thought she'd had before was genuine…she did need the practice, unless of course she planned on keeping her son by her side forever…

All things considered that seemed like a wonderful idea, but she couldn't allow that. No matter what she wanted it just wasn't feasible, she knew that at some point she would have to surrender her boy to someone who could watch him, someone who wasn't going to cut away his destiny…

She shook the thought away and spent the morning getting Neal ready for when Ashley came over to pick him up. She changed his diaper, found some clothes for him, and nearly sat down to wait for Ashley before Regina muttered "don't forget a diaper bag" from her place at the coffee machine. She'd been watching her wander around the apartment with interest, silently sipping her coffee, but this was the first time she'd actually had something to say. She nearly forgot she was there until she reminded her.

"A diaper bag…" she breathed. Right…she knew what those were, or Lacey did at least but she-

"If she's going to take him for as long as I think she is then he needs a diaper bag."

"Right so…just a couple of diapers-"

"More," Regina inserted.

She grabbed two more from the stash and Regina shook her head, she grabbed a third and Regina finally nodded. "Ah-ah!" she shrieked in triumph when she took her first step away from the changing table. But Regina was quick to spoil her victory when she stated "wipes too. And I'd pack an extra outfit just to be safe. And a hat to go with his jacket, it's getting cold."

She obeyed, but rolled her eyes as she did it. "He's going away for a few hours, it's not a day trip to Paris!"

"Boys are tricky, and messy, you need to prepare for every possible scenario."

"Five diapers for a few hours, what more could he need?"

"He could come down with diarrhea, if it comes out of his diaper he'll need clothes, and boys tend to do this thing when you try to change their diaper…well…I'll let you experience the joy of that first hand, but it always helps to have spares. I'd also put a few toys in there. At this age, they don't do much more than look and put them in their mouth but better a plastic set of keys than the real ones."

She sighed as she looked around for the extra items. It would have been easy to disregard Regina, the woman she always thought of was incredibly maternal towards Henry, a boy just about to be a teenager, but she had a hard time picturing her mothering a baby or a toddler. Though she supposed she had. They would be mothers of two sons, only…only she wasn't supposed to know that.

"Who told you I was having a boy?" she questioned suspiciously.

"No one, we're talking about Neal. But in all fairness I would tell you to pack extras no matter if it was a boy or a girl. Why? You can't possibly know what you are having already. Do you?!"

She rolled her eyes and offered a sigh as she tried to stuff Neal's diapers, toys, clothes, and wipes, single handedly into a cloth bag Snow had sitting by the changing table. "Hades sped up my pregnancy in the Underworld. Not a lot, but enough…"

"So Rumpelstiltskin gets another son…ironic," Regina smiled, in a way that made her want to slap it off of her. This wasn't ironic! Nothing about this was ironic, not when Rumple was considering doing something that would scar this child too!

" _We're_  having a son!" she spat in her direction. "And it's not ironic! Or funny. And he's not his brother! He'll be his own person and Rumple-!"

There was a knock on the door that stopped her before she could draw another breath and go on. She glanced at the clock, then at Snow White asleep in the bed and realized that forty-five minutes had passed, Ashley was here for Neal. She quickly finished gathering up his belongings as Regina watched in silence, fixing herself more coffee before moving to the living room. She delivered the baby and his bag to a very surprised Ashley, who didn't really understand where Snow had gone. She tried to tell her there was no problem, that Snow was needed for something last minute and she volunteered to stay until Ashley came for Neal.

She watched as the young woman told her to follow her downstairs and she saw one woman pulling a green plastic wagon with three toddlers and she had a special stroller capable of holding four babies. Neal was the second to go into it. Ashley asked if drop off would be a problem or if she needed to hold onto Neal for a while longer. She replied that it wouldn't. She had no idea when Snow would wake up but someone would be here to receive him without a doubt.

Upstairs, Regina had moved to the table and was looking over stacks of books that hadn't been there when she'd gone downstairs. Further inspection of the books told her they were the ones they'd been using in the library, the ones Regina had brought. She must have summoned them.

"I just figured we should make ourselves useful," Regina muttered sounding absorbed in the book in front of her. She nodded and took the seat opposite her before pulling one of the books she was sure she'd already read toward her. "So…you want to talk about it?" Regina asked casually after a few seconds.

"Not particularly," she answered just as casually. She honestly didn't think there was anything that Regina could say that would make a difference. She was on her own to do the research for the Shears and the solution to the problem that Rumpelstiltskin had presented her with. With the help of the Evil Queen of course.

The Evil Queen…she'd known that those scissors were useful to Rumple…was it possible…

She glanced over at Regina, she was the one who kept saying that they needed to think out of the box because whatever Regina knew The Evil Queen did too. Did that work in reverse? Could the Evil Queen have learned about them here? In one of her books?

"Regina…would any of these books have anything about the Shears of Destiny in them?"

Regina looked up from the page she was reading. "What, the special scissors Emma had Hook throw into the sea?"

"That's them, only they're not in the sea anymore…The Evil Queen apparently traded them to Rumple."

"Rumple has them now?!" she blanched. She nodded and Regina let out a snort after a moment of consideration. "Well…I can't say I'm surprised. But what does he want with…" she glanced over at her and her eyes wandered to the table, as if she could see through to her belly and she shrugged with realization. "Right…that would be his style. Sorry, these are just books on spells and enchantments and curses, those won't show up in my books."

"What do you know about them?" she questioned.

"Probably no more than you do. They are capable of cutting away a person's future. Hook got them from Emma, who got them from Aladdin, who…probably stole them to be honest. From where I don't know, but he's supposed to be the best thief in Agrabah, which means he is probably the best in town now that Robin…"

For a moment, her abrupt halt in the middle of the sentence left her confused until the memory settled into her. Robin. He was dead.

It was so odd to her, probably because she'd been asleep when he died, but it was difficult for her to remember sometimes. It was like when she'd learned that one of her cousins she communicated with via letters had passed away from an illness. They hadn't seen each other often, and even though the news had been devastating, for months after her death she would find herself wondering if a new letter from her cousin would come before she remembered that she was gone and would never send another letter again. The depression would hit all over again with each realization and this was no different.

Robin was dead. They were not best friends, not like she was with Neal. But they were friends. He was a confidant, someone that she could turn to when she needed someone to talk to, someone selfless that would help if she needed it. She didn't know what she needed to make his death more real, if she needed to see a grave or hear the story…maybe all she needed was the look on Regina's face right now. Complete and utter heartbreak. She and Regina had a complicated relationship on the best of days. Their past was riddled with conflict and abuse. In a perfect world she would never have to see Regina again but she understood that they were too closely associated for something like that to happen. They were both vital when it came to the villains that they mutually fought against and their family was closely entwined…

She shivered and held in a gag.

Entwined. Rumpelstiltskin and the Evil Queen.

The very thought made her queasy. She was just as happy to get it out of her mind by looking up at the grief-stricken woman across from her.

"I'm sorry," she muttered quietly. "About Robin, I'm…I'm so sorry. He was…" she opened her mouth and shook her head, searching for just the right thing to say about a man that was so much she doubted one word would ever be enough to describe him!

"Yes…he was," Regina agreed unexpectedly, as if she could read her thoughts.

Regina's mind was busy. Her mind was busy. Together they fell into an easy silence paging once more through pages that she was certain they knew by heart. With each passing minute her optimism at this plan began to fade. Regina had said that the potion would last only a few hours at best. Every minute that David didn't move a muscle was a minute that her hope died and she knew Snow hadn't found him, or hadn't been able to wake him up. She allowed herself to be cautiously optimistic. If it didn't work to wake him, could this at least be a way for them to spend time together?

"I'm starting to think you're right," Regina muttered hours later as she stared out the window.

She looked expectedly over at Snow White and David, still unmoving from the place she'd left them. "I'm right?" she questioned confused.

"I'm starting to think this isn't a sleeping curse as we know it, but an invention of my counterpart. I'm starting to think the answer isn't going to be in a book…"

"Regina-"

There was a sudden gasp from the bedroom that made her heart pound with anticipation as she looked over at the couple, hoping to see two sets of eyes.

All she saw was the stirring body of Snow White.

David remained motionless.

"Snow!" Regina exclaimed moving closer to her. "What happened? What did you see?"

"You have to send me back!" the princess plead. "I couldn't search the whole forest, you have to let me go back."

"Did you find evidence he was there?!" she questioned eagerly.

"No…not this time, but I need more time to look, I didn't even get halfway through!" She and Regina exchanged glances. It would be one thing if she'd found some evidence of David, but nothing at all…

Despite the confidence that Snow White displayed it was clear she and Regina were at least thinking the same thing. This wasn't what they thought it was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...this is most certainly a filler chapter that serves more than a couple of purposes, but none that are major enough to call it an important chapter. I certainly liked the idea of Regina giving Belle a little advice about how to pack a baby because there would have been a time that Regina was in the same shoes as Belle. She never had children when Henry came, how was she supposed to know how to take care of a baby? I liked the idea of her giving hints, but also understanding that there were some things she'd have to discover on her own. I liked the idea of bringing up Robin, because Belle hasn't really had a lot of time to grieve him and frankly neither has Regina. Finally, I also wanted to go along with something the writers started so that it wasn't as random. I've said it once, and I'll say it again: the writers made Belle a moron this season. Though as I've reflected on that, it's the wrong term. They didn't so much much make her a moron as...well...the best word I can come up for it is castrate her. Odd when she's about to have a baby. In the past, Belle has always been able to find them answers on curses, spells, all kinds of magic. Her library has always been a key part of that. But for some reason in this season and even 5B every time she goes to do research all of a sudden she comes up empty. That was a really stupid decision on the part of the writers. So this chapter exists to follow that "we can't find anything" but also to show really that it's not her who has lost her abilities. This magic is just different and is going to require something different. There is one other reason...but I'm going to keep that one to myself until we really get into 6x08.
> 
> To answer the questions I'm sure will come: Yes, I have seen the deleted scenes. How do I feel about them? Mixed. Not happy, obviously they don't give me a warm fuzzy feeling. But the good thing is that they actually help everything make a lot more sense. I finished the writing of 6x11 as we knew it weeks ago but left a big spot there because I had a feeling that scene at the cabin would be released. In the end, it was one of the major reasons for not posting two fictions this summer, because by now we'd be in the midst of the 6B fiction and I would have some major editing and writing to do. Why write what I was sure would be deleted? I know they're not warm fuzzy scenes, but trust me when I say that they really do help at least the storyline in 6x11. And you will easily see that in the next fiction...I hope. Peace and Happy Reading!


	37. Soul Sisters

Yesterday had not been one of her best days. She and Regina left Snow when Ashley returned that afternoon with Neal. They had a long conversation, or rather Regina and Snow had had a long conversation, and in the end, Regina reluctantly agreed to give Snow one last chance despite her initial warnings about the poppy juice. Tomorrow afternoon Regina would bring more potion and Snow would search whatever dream world she found herself in for her Prince Charming. But that was it! If she couldn't find him, then they had to assume he wasn't there. Snow conceded to the terms. Regina took the necklace, promising her that she would return it to Aurora when she was finished, and Belle went back to the Jolly Roger.

That night she found herself back in the Red Room, completely apart from her necklace and yet somehow still conscious of where she was with Aurora by her side urging her just to wake herself up the same way she had last night. She didn't see how that could possibly work. She couldn't fall asleep just to wake up over and over again.

"Well, time passes differently when you are asleep, you'll wake up and hours have gone by, besides, the easier it gets, the faster your mind will take you somewhere else as you sleep. Eventually, you'll start to dream again."

She woke up three times that night and each and every time she looked forward to waking up to find she'd dreamed of nothing, but it was nothing but a lot of repetition.

The next morning she found that her morning sickness was still there, but a lot less prevalent than it had been the days before. Regina had made it clear that only she and Snow would be attempting to use the necklace and find David that day and she was happy for an entirely different reason when she arrived on Main Street.

The Shop was still closed. It was closer to lunch than it was to breakfast and not only was the shop still closed, but the car was right where she'd seen it the last two days as if it hadn't moved. He was there, in the shop, she had no doubt, but what he'd be doing in there for so long, and possibly with the Evil Queen…

As she stormed over to the library, she was certain that the urge to vomit had nothing to do with Morning Sickness this time around. She opened the door and found Rapunzel sitting at the desk reading a book of poetry.

"Hey, what's…what's with the look?" she asked immediately, perceiving that something was wrong before she even opened her mouth.

She pointed to the wall that faced the Pawn Shop. "Has that car moved in the last three days?" she questioned.

"That car…?"

"Rumple's car? The one parked in front of the Pawn Shop, has it moved?"

Rapunzel looked taken aback. "I…I don't think so…" she got up from her seat and walked quickly into the other room. Belle followed after her and watched as she pulled some blinds aside and looked out the window. "I don't think so; it's been that way for a while. You think it means something?"

Yes. Yes, she thought it meant something. And she was sure that it was no coincidence that this was happening after he found out about her coming into possession of those shears. He was planning something. For her, for their child… She didn't know which, but she knew that she wasn't going to sit here and just let it happen. She had to fight back in the only way she knew how.

"I think it's time we looked into those scissors. I have to know what they can do and if there is any way to protect my child against them."

"I don't suppose that you could just talk to him about it?" Rapunzel suggested hesitantly.

In a perfect world, she could. In a perfect world she would have told him she knew what was going on yesterday and he would have denied it, he would have said he could never use something like those scissors on his child, and she would have believed him because some part of her wanted desperately to believe there were lines that even he wouldn't cross.

But he hadn't done that. In fact, he'd all but confirmed that was his plan with those guilty eyes and the way that he'd excused his actions as being "for the love of his son." What had changed from the man she'd had a conversation with after Merida had attacked to the monster she saw before her now? She wouldn't know. But she knew that she couldn't worry about him the way she once had. He wasn't her world anymore, this child was. And she had to do everything she could to save him from her husband. Unless he gave her some sign otherwise, the Rumpelstiltskin she loved was too far gone.

"I think we're far beyond talking," she muttered sadly. "If he's in there then that means that he's doing something and that means that I have to do something as well."

"'We,'" Rapunzel corrected coolly. "Flynn and I talked about it; we're not letting you go through this by yourself, so…" Rapunzel walked back to the circulation desk without a word and pulled a cart out from behind it. "Yesterday, while you were helping Snow, I pulled every book I could find on Greek Mythology, then eliminated the ones that didn't mention the sisters or the Shears. I haven't looked in your private stash of course, but this is what I have for us to go through so far."

She didn't know what to say. It was overwhelming. All of it was overwhelming! The books, of course! Every single space on every shelf was full! It was going to take forever to get through it! But that wasn't the only thing that made her emotional. Rapunzel had done this? She'd been busy with Snow White and Regina, and Rapunzel had been busy helping her?! She hadn't even asked and yet…

She rushed forward and hugged the girl, suddenly aware that other than a few pats on the back they had never really hugged one another before. Rapunzel seemed about as surprised as she was by the gesture. She breathed a small "whoa!" at the attack before patting her gently on the back and finally hugging her tight. "We're going to figure this out," she whispered in her ear. "I promise, you're going to make it."

"I know," she muttered back, stepping away and wiping her eyes. "I just always assumed that if it came to something like this…"

"It would be Rumpelstiltskin helping you, and not me?" she provided.

She shook her head. Yes, on the surface that would have been what she'd thought would happen but the moment the words left her mouth it wasn't the image that she had in her mind. "I always thought I'd be alone," she admitted sadly.

Her father surely wouldn't help her. Emma, Regina, any of the others, really, she figured they might help her, but only if it was for the greater good in some way. And Rumpelstiltskin…she would have liked to think that he would help her, she would have liked to think that she could have trusted him, and maybe she could have when he was human but the way he was now…she couldn't trust him. She couldn't trust him to tell her what he found; she couldn't trust him not to darken her own heart or conscience, she couldn't trust that if he found something that might benefit them it might also curse someone else. It was odd how alone she was in their relationship.

But in this relationship, this friendship…it was nice to know that there was someone out there looking after her and her child, someone that she trusted. They were even it seemed. Rapunzel always said she liked to help because she had given her the opportunities that gave her the life she enjoyed now. However, it seemed now the tables had turned and she couldn't repay her for all that she'd done for her. Maybe, just maybe, that was what friendship was. Equality. Love. Support. It was lovely.

"You know…when my son is born, he'll need a godmother and…well, I'm an only child so…"

"Belle," Rapunzel interrupted. "When your son is born he'll need a therapist. Let's just get to work and work out all the details of that in the months to come?"

Emotional as she felt, she nodded her head. It was time to get to work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If I can't have Rumbelle sap, I have to have sap somewhere! Belle and Rapunzel's friendship is really about the only place that I can get it at the moment. I love the idea of making them equals. I loved it when Belle took Rapunzel under her wing a few fictions ago and helped her go from a timid and shy girl to a strong minded woman. And now, I like that Rapunzel, no matter what she may think, isn't indebted to Belle for it, they just help each other the way friends are supposed to. It's been a long time since she had a relationship like that and yet if you follow the shop as canon, it hasn't existed at all. Belle having a decent friend in the world is just something I always wanted to see and so here it exists. And yet...this chapter is going to be important in the chapters to come. Not for the plot, just for a personality flaw that I'm really going to try and expose. I don't know that I want to say what it all is just yet, but trust me, it's coming toward the end of 6x08.
> 
> Big thank you to Taisch for your comments on the previous chapter. Those are always much appreciated! I hope that the answer to your question was clear! I'm always happy to answer any question that I can to the best of my ability! Peace and Happy Reading!


	38. The Trapdoor in the Corner

The work was slow. And heartbreaking.

The more she read, the more she understood. And the more she understood the more she came to believe there was nothing that could be done to save her child. The information she found in the books that Rapunzel pulled out for her seemed to be variations on the same information. The Shears were the property of one of the fates. The Shears, said to cut the thread of life, were stolen often by mortals and replaced by Zeus who had a fondness for the sister who owned them. The Shears, while powerful in the hands of the sisters worked differently in the hands of mortals. When the Fate used the scissors, it signaled the end of the individual's life, but in the hands of a mortal, it could cut ties to any destiny an individual was born with. For example, she found a story about a Savior from another realm who possessed great strength. But one night, a woman seduced him and cut off the source of his strength, his hair, and rendered the man weak and feeble. She changed his fate with her actions, but he kept his life.

She shuddered at that fact. Did Rumpelstiltskin count as a "mortal"? He didn't age; he couldn't die, not unless someone killed him with the dagger and took the Dark Curse for themselves.

"What if the Shears count him as immortal?!" she questioned aloud that night. "He could end up killing our child instead of severing him from his destiny."

"I think we can both agree that it doesn't matter what the Shears count him as the outcome won't be good so long as the scissors are in his hands."

Next to Rapunzel Flynn elbowed her and pointed to something in a book. He'd surprised both of them that night and brought over pizza and beer, water for her, after Rapunzel told her how they'd spent their day. To her shock and awe, instead of insisting on talking he'd started paging through books himself which had made her smirk and think that the pair of them would make the best godparents her child could ever need.

"What?" she questioned now, looking over at what Flynn was pointing out to Rapunzel. "What's that?" she asked as she read it.

Before she could make her way to the book and find out, Rapunzel shook her head. "Nothing just…more of what we already know," she answered setting the book and whatever he'd found aside.

"So, you've found nothing all day. No way to reverse it, no way to stop it or protect the baby from it?!" Flynn clarified.

"No," Rapunzel answered looking tired. "Nothing that doesn't involve finding the Fates themselves."

"And I take it that's not a possibility?"

"They haven't been seen for two thousand years," she answered unhappily, only because she had thought the exact same thing initially.

"Yeah…not an option."

She sighed as she took her seat again. "It appears that the only people actually capable of not having their strings cut are immortals on Mount Olympus. They are not part of the tapestry of life and therefore have no strings to begin with. As for everyone else…" she sighed again as she finally admitted the conclusion she knew she'd been moving towards, but didn't want to accept. "There is no way to stop it for the same reason there was nothing to stop the River of Lost Souls…nothing is supposed to stop it.

"The River of Lost Souls, any of the Rivers of Hades, Hades himself, or even the Shears…they were not meant to be terrible wicked things, they were not innately evil or innately good they just existed to keep a balance of life that is neither good nor bad. The gods were supposed to use them for their own purposes and so they never saw a reason to build them with flaws or defects. Nothing can stop them."

"Nothing so far," Rapunzel added quickly. "We've solved problems on less before, we can do it again. We have months to figure out something new, not days."

And that would normally have been a comfort to her, but it was hard to see a small spec of something positive when there was nothing but reminders of the negatives all around. Leaving the library that night and seeing that nothing had changed in the shop for three days was a negative. Regina calling her just before she got on the boat to tell her that Snow had yet again failed to find David was a negative.

She tried to listen calmly as Regina told her that Snow wanted to do it again but she wasn't going to let her. Too much of the poppy dust at one time wasn't good for anyone. And constantly looking for hope where there was none was not a solution either. Regina was on her own. Her counterpart had created this variation of the sleeping curse so that it could not be defeated. It was her that had to come up with the solution.

Or did she?

When she woke the next morning she should have been happy at the fact that she had dreamless sleep, that for the first time days there was no sign of a room, red, white, or otherwise, but she just couldn't get the events of the week out of her head. She wasn't sick, but she found herself lying in bed, hugging her pillow to her chest anyway. Snow and David were trapped in a seemingly unbreakable curse by the Evil Queen who it seemed was currently in bed with her husband. Regina was trying to search for a cure that her husband supposedly knew nothing of. And she was trying to find a way around the Shears being held captive by none other than her husband.

Every sadness, every event, everything one way or another came back to the same person. He was pulling strings again and she was beginning to wonder if Regina and even Rapunzel had been wrong. If she went over there, if she bat her eyes the right way, if she talked to him instead of accusing him…what would happen. Could she save their child from him? Could she lessen the burden of someone in this town in some way?

She didn't want to do it. Everything in her wanted him to come to her, to take a step, to realize that what he was doing was wrong and be the one to come have that conversation with her. But nothing that had happened over the last few days gave her any indication that was going to happen. So she swallowed her pride, dressed just before lunch, went into town…

And found the shop locked up again, for the third day in a row.

Something inside her snapped. Something she didn't know or understand.

Before she had barely another thought she lunged for the door, turned and gave the handle a yank but it didn't give way and it didn't turn. It was locked. Still!

She glanced behind her and looked at the car, hoping she'd find some evidence that it had moved! But now that she was looking at it up close she could see the dead leaves gathered around the base of the wheels. There was even a cobweb under one! It clearly hadn't moved for days, which meant either he hadn't moved for days, or he was using more magic to get around and neither was a good thing as far as she was concerned.

She squinted through the blinds and looked back and forth. The main room was empty, but she expected that. What she was really concerned with was watching the shadows in the back room. The light was dim. It was an overcast day, but…

There! It was a small motion, but a shadow moved and she knew that it was not some inanimate curtain or object that did it. It was him. He'd done it, annoyed her enough with his behavior that she wasn't going to have this. She pulled her keys out of her pocket, fit it into the lock and-

It wouldn't turn. Going into the lock it had an odd feel about it she'd never experienced. She pulled it out, check that it was the right one, then tried again. The lock didn't budge.

He'd changed the locks on her! With so much force she feared she might actually break through the wood and windows she banged on the door and cry out "I know you're in there!" She waited for a heartbeat or two, hoping that she'd see more movement and confirm her suspicion but the pawn shop suddenly got still like it hadn't been before. "I need to talk to you!" she called through the window. Still, nothing happened. She backed away from the door, all thoughts of conversation dying as she crossed the street to the library and found Rapunzel sitting at the desk reading-

She knew that book!

But at her appearance Rapunzel quickly shut it and set it aside.

"That's the book from yesterday," she commented looking it over, more sure than ever that she wasn't recalling wrong. "The one that Flynn showed you something in."

"What?! No, it's not it's just…it's just…" But Rapunzel was a bad liar, and she watched as her face fell almost immediately in defeat. "Don't be mad."

"What am I not supposed to be angry at?" she questioned looking it over. It was a general book of magic, nothing advanced, nothing intricate…what had she found in it.

"Flynn showed it to me yesterday but I didn't understand until you left and we talked about it. I'm…still on the fence. He thinks that it is a possible solution, I'm not so sure."

"What is it?!" she asked desperately.

Rapunzel sighed and pulled the book forward. "This is what Flynn pointed out to me yesterday." She opened the book up to a chapter and then handed it across the desk for her to look at. The book was familiar and so was this chapter because she had used it only about five months ago to work on Zelena's plot.

"Crossing Time and Space…" she muttered reading it over. "He thinks I should go back in time and not come back to Storybrooke?"

Rapunzel shook her head. "I think it was the other half of that he was considering."

It took her a moment to realized what she meant but when she did her eyes went wide and she backed away from the book as if it were poison. "Leave Storybrooke?"

"Actually…Flynn thinks it might help if it were a lot more drastic than that."

"Leave the World Without Magic?" Finally Rapunzel nodded. "He really thinks I should do this?! He wants me to-"

"Nobody wants you to leave," Rapunzel interrupted quickly, standing from her chair and meeting her in the lobby. Her tone was sharp and angry, and it made her feel like though she was bringing it up for the first time this was certainly something that she'd talked to Flynn about a lot before now. "But we were looking for answers and ideas and…this is what he came up with. Rumpelstiltskin can't use the scissors if he doesn't have the child. And he can't get the child if-"

"If I'm in another Realm," she finished for her.

Rapunzel shrugged. "More or less. It's a really drastic answer to your problem and to be honest…I'm not sure it's the right answer. Or an easy one! One of the biggest profits of this plan is its biggest flaw. We could send you away and it would be difficult for Rumple to get to you but not impossible. And the issue of sending you away-"

"It's not easy but it's not impossible either. And we know just the woman who can do it!" she realized her heart speeding up.

"Belle wait!"

She hadn't realized she'd been nearly out the door until she felt Rapunzel's hand on her arm.

"Just because you can go to Zelena and do this doesn't mean you should! Think about what this means! He'll never see that child! And your baby…you are taking his father away from him. That is no light decision to be made in the minute since I've shown you this! And asking Zelena? There is no assurance she will do this for you. None."

No. This was not a perfect plan, nor was it one that she wanted but she felt so stuck in a corner now! Rumple was across the street working on something she knew nothing of with the scissors that could permanently alter their child's life the moment he got his hands on him! What choice had he left her with?

"I don't want to take this baby from Rumple. I don't want to take this baby from anyone, but…I have seen what that man does in the name of love and it is never good. In fact it's nearly cost me my life and that of our son. I don't know what he's planning exactly but I know that if I don't take him somewhere safe and away from his father as fast as I can, then Rumple will cut him from his fate and I cannot-I will not let that happen. If this is what I have to do to ensure our son lives into whatever destiny the real Fates have planned for him…then so be it!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promised you when I started this that one of the reasons I liked Rapunzel as a friend for Belle was because she seemed like someone who would be unafraid to drop some truth bombs on her (or at least that's the way I've developed her). I told her that of course, she was going to "side with" Belle because she was Belle's friend but I also told you that she was going to be a voice of reason for Belle. What I didn't say was that Belle was going to listen to that voice of reason. Rapunzel in this scene is pretty much all of us! Every argument we came up with while watching this episode for why Belle shouldn't do what she is about to request Rapunzel puts out there. And I felt that she was really the best person to do that because she's her friend. She doesn't want Belle to go away. She recognizes that while something like this is an option, it's something that shouldn't be jumped into rashly...just like she's about to do.
> 
> Big thank yous to Taisch for your comments on the last chapter. Obviously, we are now officially into the 6x08 that we all know and really, the only thing that has made this tolerable for me is that I got a good solid day of writing 6B in on Saturday. Obviously, you can't read that yet, but I hope knowing that it is coming is kind of consolation prize. Run the race with endurance and all that. Peace and Happy Reading!


	39. The Lesser of Two Evils

She wished it wasn't Zelena. In fact, she would have given anything in the world for it not to be Zelena, for anyone other than the Wicked Witch of the West to possess the power to help her. But it wasn't so. At least not for her. Oh, she was sure that with a little time she could find someone else in town with the abilities required to make the Apprentice's Wand work. But there were too many problems with that plan than she could count. For starters she didn't actually have the wand, last she heard, Zelena had it. Zelena had used it before, successfully, and she wasn't about to entrust her safety and therefore her son's safety with someone operating it for the first time. And then there was the issue with time. She knew Rumple and she knew that he worked quickly and usually one step ahead of everyone else. For all she knew he was in his shop right now coming up with a way to stop her from doing this very thing. And if by chance he wasn't then he would be the moment he got word of her with the Apprentice's Wand asking people if they could work it. She had to work fast.

She took Rumple's car. It wasn't as though he was using it and if she was going to Zelena's farmhouse, then she needed a ride. Besides, if he found out and came after her for it, then it would only serve to get him out of the shop and allow her to speak with him as she had originally wanted to. The drive to the farmhouse was quiet on her own, but at least it gave her time to think about what to say and how to say it. Zelena was crazy and unreasonable, but she had been known to act in her favor on more than one occasion. When she got out of the car, she swore she could feel Neal turning over in his grave. "I swear, if I had any other option…" she began before letting her voice trail off. Neal would hate this, but she also had a feeling that knowing his past he would be able to see through it in some way and understand why she was doing it.

She walked up the rickety stairs to the front door and suddenly smelled sulfur. It was just like it had been a few weeks ago when she'd had to ask Zelena for help in the Underworld. It had worked once, she only hoped this would be just as successful as that trip.

She knocked on the door softly at first, remembering that now Zelena had little Robin in her custody and she didn't want to wake the child if it could be avoided. But when nothing happened she knocked again and finally heard footsteps coming from the other side of the door as well as muttering of some kind. She felt an overwhelming wave of nausea but before anything came of it the door was open and it was real. She was doing this.

"I need your help," she blurt out right away.

Zelena smirked. "Odd…I just got the strongest sense of déjà vu. Give me that again…" she requested with an amused smile.

She took a deep breath and tried not to let her irritation betray her. Zelena was never one to "let things go". She would enjoy every bit of this that she could get away with and if she weren't so desperate that would be nothing but seeing as how she was desperate…she'd already made a deal with this woman for her child once. What was a second?

"I need your help," she repeated firmly.

"Oh, that's what I thought I heard. I guess lightning can strike the same place twice. Come in."

Zelena didn't so much usher her inside as she just walked away from the open door. She needed another deep breath but eventually followed her inside and closed the door behind her. In the kitchen, the one identical to the place they'd had their talk in while they were in the Underworld she saw that it now had a bassinet by the window and baby Robin was asleep there. Zelena glanced in to check on the child, and satisfied with whatever she saw took a seat beside her.

"You can sit down if you like."

Belle looked at the child she'd glanced at and considered it but she felt her nerves begin to sizzle and shook her head. She was too frantic to do something as simple as sit down.

"Fine then, what do you want from me if it's not my hospitality?"

"I need your help," she stated again with her arms crossed over her belly. "And understand that if I had any other option, if there was anyone else I could go to then that is where I would be but-"

"Well don't you have a very funny way of asking for help. I feel so flattered."

"This isn't a game!" she shouted so loud she was surprised Robin didn't wake up. She hunched herself over one of the chairs and considered the words bubbling up in her mouth. If she said them then that meant that she was not only making it real, but was telling Zelena and potentially telling Rumple by way of the Evil Queen but…Zelena was her only option if she wanted to get this done quickly. And she had a feeling that if Zelena was really as close to the Evil Queen as the Evil Queen thought, then Zelena never would have told her about the relationship that she was having with her husband.

"I need you to use the Apprentice's Wand and send me back to the Enchanted Forest, right now."

She'd done a lot of thinking on the car ride over. There were a lot of lands but in the end she settled on The Enchanted Forest. Not only was it familiar to her, but she knew the Merry Men and Camelot and even Merida were there. She could take refuge with one of them. And she knew that because of the curses placed on the land and the people it was far more difficult to get back there than any other place that she could go. She knew it wasn't impossible for Rumple to find her, but she figured that if she could delay him long enough then she might be able to keep their son safe!

"Oh? Is that all?" Zelena blanched. "No."

"Zelena…" she resisted the urge to cry and instead took a deep breath. "You are the only one that can do this. You are the only one who knows how to work that wand and send people places and I don't have time to sit around and find someone else."

"Yeah, you know…I really don't understand this impending sense of urgency in your voice."

"It's Rumpelstiltskin!" she finally admitted pacing back and forth. "It's those scissors and what he can do with them and what he's doing now with them."

"Doing now? Baby's not even born yet."

"You know as well as I do that means nothing to Rumpelstiltskin. He's closed the shop!" she cried in explanation. "I mean, he hasn't left in days. I know he's up to something in there."

"He's the Dark One. He's always up to something."

"Yeah, well, this time, he's after my baby," she reminded her.

If he was up to no good as he had been with Hyde or Jekyll or whoever was the real monster she could ignore it but if he wanted to alter this child's life just so that he wouldn't lose it…she wasn't about to let that happen.

"You told me about his plan. You have to get me out of it," she insisted.

"Yeah, I don't quite see the logic in that. It was just the one favor," she responded sipping her tea.

Didn't she? It wasn't logic it was spite?! Why tell her unless it hurt her sister? Unless she wanted her to know about the Evil Queen and Rumple and confront him about it?! How much more would helping her with this irk Rumple and therefore the Evil Queen?! Yes, the logic was a bit twisted, but if she didn't spend too much time thinking about it, then it worked.

"Right…"

In years past a refusal like that would have had her leaving this house with a broken heart but a determination to figure out a second way. There was no second way here. She was not about to take chances with this child, not when the Dark One wanted him for something so awful. Zelena had told her about his plan, and Zelena was the only one she knew in town that could get her out of town. She couldn't give in so easily. She cleared her throat and advanced on her, hanging over the table, and staring down at the witch sipping tea as if this were a garden party.

"I'm not gonna leave until you help."

Zelena let out a soft laugh. "Why would I help you?" she questioned with interest. Interest was good. Interest she could work with. She let out a small sigh of angst at the oddity. She hated it, but they did have certain similar qualities that she was hoping Zelena would sympathize with. She hated this woman, this woman who had killed Neal, imprisoned her husband, tricked Robin, and done about a million other awful things in her life! But she was the only one who could help her do what she needed to do. She was simultaneously the wrong person and the right person and coming to her for this would haunt her for the rest of her life. But she'd rather have her son by her side and have it haunt her than never step over this line and live with what Rumple would do to the child instead.

"Because as much as it pains me to admit, you and I…are somewhat alike."

Zelena let out another little giggle. "Why? 'Cause we're both mums?!"

No, although that was certainly something she had considered.

"Because we both know what it's like to care about someone who always lets us down!" she corrected quickly. Her words struck a nerve. She could see it in the way Zelena stared back at her. It wasn't a surprise that it affected her. Frankly she choked up at the thought too. She had given Rumple chance after chance to do the right thing. He let her down every time. "Your sister. Gold. Right? I will not let my son go through all this, okay? You can get us out of Storybrooke. I have seen you make portals before," she stated finally backing off a bit.

There was the sound of wood scraping across wood as Zelena finally rose from her seat and she wished she would sit back down because towering over her in this way was more than a little intimidating.

"Even if I said yes, I can't help you without the sorcerer's wand, and your scaly husband has it under lock and key."

Rumple had the wand…well that was news she didn't have, but news that didn't exactly surprise her. Of course, if it couldn't be located then he would be the one to have it in his possession safe and secure. And where else would he keep it than the shop? The one place he'd locked himself in. She couldn't.

She nodded at the information and her mind began to form a plan. She couldn't get it, that would be too obvious, but she'd have to get it away from him somehow. Robin had been the best thief in this land…but Regina's comments from two days ago now rang out clear as a bell in her mind. If Robin wasn't here, then she knew who the best thief in town was by default.

"Well, then it's a good thing I know just the person to get it from him," she countered.

She expected Zelena to argue, to look irritated or throw up more road blocks, but instead she appeared to be intrigued and perhaps even a little impressed.

"You do?"

She nodded. She knew exactly who to call, she just didn't know where to find him. "I need to make a few calls."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me reiterate once more as I did in 5B fiction. I really don't think that Belle and Zelena are friends. Friendship requires equality and sacrifice. Neither of those things are present in this relationship. This conversation makes that abundantly clear. This isn't a friend asking for a friends help. This is Belle, asking Zelena to do something that only she can do. There really is no one else who can help her in this besides Zelena. And this isn't a friend doing something for her because she's a friend. This is Zelena making a deal with Belle. It's a simple transaction, and there is nothing friendly about it.
> 
> Thank you once more to Taisch. Your comments are always awesome to receive. I hope the beginning of this chapter is okay. I mean, we know the chapter isn't "okay" nothing in this series is ever "okay" but once again I'm talking about the unseen into seen material. Usually, I'm pretty good with writing in Zelena's voice but I don't know if I got it this time. Let me know if she's okay. Peace and Happy Reading!


	40. The Savior of Agrabah

Henry was not at school, not on a weekend, but she was surprised to find him talking about school when she called. He spent so much time away from it these days somehow she assumed that someone would have begun homeschooling him by now. But apparently he was busy getting ready for the Homecoming Dance, which was happening that night. He was taking Violet, the girl he'd met in Camelot and had run away to New York with, which came as a surprise to her because she thought that everyone from Camelot had returned home. When she asked about it he told her only that it was complicated and he would have to explain later since he really needed to get ready.

Before he hung up she realized why she had called Henry in the first place and asked him if he knew where Aladdin was staying. It was a shot in the dark, she didn't even know if Henry would know of Aladdin or not but he didn't question who the man was, so she assumed that he knew. That was what she had been hoping. However, her heart fell when Henry told her that he didn't know where the thief was staying since he'd parted ways with his mother.

"Alright, thank you Henry, good luck at your-"

"But I know where Jasmine is staying, if anyone knows where he is she will."

"Jasmine?"

"Yeah, they're  _just friends,_ " Henry added, in a tone that made her think there was far more than friendship going on. "She's Grandma's teaching assistant and she came from the World of Untold Stories. A lot of them have found some other places to stay, like exchange students, since Granny's was getting crowded, but I'm sure she'd know where she is if she's not still at the B&B."

So, she had to find Granny, to find Jasmine, to find Aladdin. She placed her hand over her belly. Worth it. And unexpectedly easy. One call to Granny and she was happy to find that while most people had moved out Jasmine was still staying at the inn because of its proximity to the school. And though Granny didn't know the boy, she had been seen in the company of a "handsome dark-haired fellow" for the last few days. That was all she needed to hear. She and Zelena, with baby Robin in tow, headed into town.

Out of the corner of her eye, she couldn't help but watch Robin with Zelena, nestled in her arms the entire way. It was a welcome distraction to what was going on inside her mind. She hadn't had much interaction with the baby since the Underworld and it was nice to see her smile and hear her coos again. An ache seized her heart when they were nearly there and Robin reached out to grab Zelena's finger. She had to save her baby. She didn't want anything less for her son than what Robin had and who knew just how much those shears would alter him even as an infant. She supposed that with luck she could convince Rumple to hold off until their son was older, which would give her time to save him but…she didn't want that always hanging over their head, over her head. She wanted the assurance that her son would grow up safe and secure never having to worry that his father might steal something precious from him.

It was a good thing that they parked when they did, she was nearly in tears and might have been if the drive had gone on much longer. When they got to the diner she led the way quickly up the stairs and found Granny. For once the woman smiled bright at the sight of the baby behind her. "Give me that baby!" she nearly squealed reaching out for her. "Rough day," she explained plucking her out of Zelena's hands so that her mother never even had the chance to fight or argue. "Middle School dance means lots of business and no tips. Adorable baby is just what the staff needs to raise their spirits."

"Granny, where is Jasmine? Is she around?"

"Over in the inn last time I checked. Haven't been around to see if she's still there."

She nodded and before Granny or Zelena could ask questions she walked from the diner back into the Bed and Breakfast. She was certain that she'd have to go behind the desk and read the ledger to tell her where Jasmine was, but the moment she was in the little room she heard a voice in the living room. It was the accent that caught her ear, the accent that sounded like Will. And yet what it said…

"I'm just trying to understand, Jasmine, we've no leads, no clues, nothing to point us in the right direction."

"Just trust me! I know that we can figure this out if we just put our minds together."

"Ever the optimist. Did you ever think it might be more difficult than it looks?"

She followed the voices into the kitchen, suddenly aware Zelena was nowhere to be seen. Inside the kitchen there were two people, a man and a woman, different accents, one rough and ragged, one refined and poised. They appeared to be arguing about something.

"For goodness sake, Aladdin!" the woman cried. "It's just tea, we're not stealing a jewel from the cave of wonders! I'm sure we'll eventually learn how to work these heated coils!"

Heated coils...she felt a tug at the corner of her mouth as she recalled the way she had thought about this world just after the curse had been broken, there was very little doubt in her mind that she'd managed to find the illusive Aladdin and Jasmine.

"How about I buy you a cup instead," she blurted out making both of them glance over at her, suddenly aware of her presence. "Jasmine and Aladdin?" she assumed.

"I'm sorry who are you?" the woman asked stepping in front of the man. She was graceful, but still stern and confident in her interjection. Royalty. She'd spent enough time around them that she'd recognize that air anywhere.

"Belle Gold, and I have a proposition for you, Aladdin," she explained looking around the woman at the man.

"Lovely, but I'm sorry to say I'm taken," he joked without an ounce of hilarity. He had hair like Rumple once had. It only made her long for a man she thought had passed away.

She shook the thought from her head and looked at the pair of them. "No, not like that. Come to the diner, I'll buy you a cup of tea and we can talk." Jasmine turned around to face Aladdin and though he seemed rather reluctant to look at her, his eyes were practically glued to her own face, studying her in some way. He seemed unsure. "Please," she explained. "I need your help."

After a few more moments of silence, the couple glanced at one another and after a quick nodded, followed her into the diner and a booth where Zelena was waiting, her eyes staring hawk like around the room. "These people keep handing my baby off like she's some kind of cure to a disease," she muttered in her ear when she stood up. Sure enough, a small glance around showed the baby in an unfamiliar waitresses arms, happily making faces at her.

"That's the least of our worries," she hissed at her. "This is Aladdin and Jasmine."

"Right…and who is she?" Jasmine asked looking the tall woman over.

"Don't worry about me," Zelena answered. "Worry about her."

"Why don't we sit down," Belle added quickly, showing them into the opposite two seats of the booth. A waitress came over right away, the one she'd seen holding Robin, who at apparently traded her off again already, and she ordered them four teas. Jasmine didn't waste any time. She continued to look the two women she was sharing the booth with over skeptically. "What is this all about, exactly?" she asked immediately. "Why do you need Aladdin? How do you know who we are?"

"Emma," she answered. "And Regina and Killian-"

"Mm, it would seem you are developing quite the reputation for yourselves," Zelena commented.

"Yes, and one of those reputations is exactly why I need you," Belle added as Jasmine cast the witch a sideways glance. She knew who they were, but she didn't know if they knew who Zelena was or their feelings for her. It was best to keep the conversation going herself. "I understand you have a habit of acquiring objects that don't belong to you?"

"You've heard he's a thief?" Jasmine blanched.

"And a good one, which is exactly what we need at the moment," she responded.

The tea arrived, but the woman hardly seemed to notice as she only continued to balk at her request.

"You tracked us down just so you could get us to steal something?" she muttered when the waitress had gone.

"It's not so much about what we want to steal as where it needs to be taken from that's an issue," she corrected. "There's a wand, a powerful one that once belonged to Merlin's Apprentice. It's the only thing that can help me get away from Rumpelstiltskin to a place that is safe for my son. If I can't leave here, he intends to use the Shears of Destiny on my baby, and I can't allow that."

Suddenly the man, who had been sitting there sullen and uninvolved in the conversation perked up so that his eyes went wide.

"How do you know about the-"

"That's not important," she interrupted before he could question how she knew about them. It was a story far longer than she was willing to share at the moment. "What is important is that the Apprentice's Wand can get the pair of us to safety. But Rumple is currently keeping them in his shop and-"

"Are you serious?" Jasmine snapped suddenly beside the man. "You want us to steal a wand from the Dark One?"

"No. I want him to steal a wand," she corrected pointing at Aladdin. The entire time Jasmine had included herself in her plans, but she had to understand that her interests lay only in the man sitting next to her. All this time he might have been quiet, barely making eye contact, but she knew that he heard what she said. And she had a feeling he was already considering it even if Jasmine wasn't. "He is supposed to be the best thief in town."

"Best thief in any town," he stated, finally looking at her. "Just to be clear."

She felt herself smirk. She knew he'd do it. He was like Will. It was nothing obvious, just a feeling. His soul was familiar to her because of Will. And Will would have done this just to prove he could, just to prove he was the best. She could easily convince a personality like that.

But Jasmine was unconvinced and let out a small scoff at the statement. "You can't do this," she told Aladdin. "You need to help me find Agrabah, our  _home_. This is…a suicide mission which has nothing to do with you."

"Actually, it's got everything to do with him," Zelena suddenly interjected. She didn't know if she should be surprised or excited. In all honesty, she had no idea how to counter the fact that Jasmine had stated. She didn't have any reason for Aladdin to do this other than out of the kindness of his heart or to help his own pride and prove how good he was. If Zelena had an idea at how to convince him…

"Sorry. Who are you?" Jasmine questioned again, looking her over once more.

"See, those Golden Shear thingies..." Zelena began before she could explain. "The only reason they're even in Storybrooke is because of your boyfriend.

"Uh...actually, we're-"

"We're not exactly-"

"Yeah, I don't care," Zelena interrupted before either of them could come up with a way out of her logic. She had to admit; it made far more sense than anything she had been prepared to try. "See, when you tried to play hero, giving them to Emma, like most acts of idiotic heroism, it failed, and now Rumple's got them."

"Okay, I don't like this one," Aladdin argued sitting forward. His eyes fell on her. "You really think that this is my fault?"

No. No, she didn't. Though Zelena had a good point, and she'd been hoping that he would go along with it, she was encouraged to see he didn't because she didn't believe it nearly as much as Zelena probably would have wanted her to. He'd given those Shears to Emma with the intention of doing good, how they traded hands after him didn't matter, only that he'd intended good for them. But that didn't change the fact that she could see the interest on his face, or that his eyes, while cunning, were also kind. She knew more about this man than he knew she did. Quiet as he was, he wore his personality on his sleeves, it practically seeped out of his pores! And she knew how to convince him. It wasn't with guilt. It was with responsibility.

"I think that you used to be the Savior," she whispered leaning forward and meeting him in the middle, so it was just the two of them. "And if there's any part of you that's still a hero, then you are gonna help me escape from this beast."

Aladdin watched her for a few silent moments. The seconds felt like minutes as she felt he was examining her face the way that she had examined his. Then, finally, he sat forward in his seat. "Tell me everything you know about where this wand is."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alrighty, pretty straight forward scene. Pretty much what you see is what you get. Honestly, the only big problem I had writing this episode (aside from...you know) is that once again A&E don't seem to be focusing on where people are or how they're moving. They look good on screen, but when you slow it down and actually consider things, they are once again doing things just because they look good and that irritates me. Getting to and from Zelena's farmhouse, I had her take Rumple's car again. Mostly because I really had no other option. Unless Belle has gotten her own car, which I doubt, or learned to work a flying carpet, there is no other way to get her all the way out to the house. Then there is this scene with Zelena in town with Belle. First of all, where is the baby? Belle is everyone's babysitter, so did they just leave Robin at the house alone? Doubtful, had to figure out how to get rid of her. Then there is the fact that after all this goes down Belle goes back out to Zelena's house to deliver the wand which makes no sense at all if they were both in town and Zelena can't drive. Of course Zelena could use magic to leave, which is accomplished in the next chapter (spoiler alert) but if I were them, I wouldn't delay in doing any of this. None of this was logical. So I hope that as we do this you'll forgive all the motion and movement of the characters. I was trying to fix mistakes.
> 
> Thank you Taisch for your comments on the last chapter. It means a lot to still have you reading, especially as we approach these last chapters. Peace and Happy Reading!


	41. Loose Ends Tied Together

It was very clear that she had not made a friend with Jasmine today. She didn't quite understand the pull that the two of them had, at first she was certain they were involved romantically, but their physical behavior suggested otherwise. They did not touch. They bickered all the time. The tone in their voice was stressed, not loving in the least. But the biggest clue perhaps was the looks they exchanged. She was the only one he ever really met eyes with. And after they had told him all about the wand, what it looked like, where it would likely be, and where Rumple would be in the shop, after she had given him her copy of the key and told him that he could meet her in the car when he was successful, they looked at each other. The look in her eyes was fire; anger, frustration, heat, and desire. What he gave back to her was ice; calm, cool, collected, and confident. They didn't kiss, they didn't hug, they didn't even offer a handshake when they exchanged words, he simply walked off down the road, and she got back into the car and watched him go with such fury that she dare not say a word.

Couples, people who were truly involved in a relationship, did not look at each other the way they had done. And so, without knowing what was going on between them, she simply settled for accepting that it was as complicated as Henry's tone originally suggested. She watched from around the corner and down the street as the pair said good bye, then Jasmine got into the back seat of the car, and Aladdin turned the corner and was out of sight.

The wait, she assumed would be full of tension and silence, eyes staring at the corner Aladdin had disappeared behind. But in the end, it became rather noisy. Robin, who had been returned to Zelena before the four of them left the diner, suddenly began to fuss in her arms. At first, she thought it wouldn't be a problem, Zelena, a surprisingly dutiful mother, had taken a diaper bag before they left and was now pushing things around inside in her search for something before coming up empty.

"I forgot the milk…I'll have to take her home," she resigned.

"What about Aladdin?!" Jasmine shrieked from the backseat

"Well, it's not like he'll be completely abandoned!" Zelena cried out hoisting the bag onto her lap. "You can come find me at my house when you get the wand," Zelena said turning to her.

"No, Zelena, wait-"

But before she could convince her there was a puff of green smoke, and the front seat was empty except for her.

"Not exactly a team player, is she?"

Belle didn't respond, especially since Jasmine had been the one opposed to this all along. No, she wasn't happy that Zelena had gone, in fact, it made her down right nervous. Her plan, if all of this worked was to have her open the portal up here and now, the moment they got the wand. Rumple was smart, and the wand was powerful. Something like that simply couldn't stay away from him for long before he realized it was missing. It would be best to create the portal the moment it was in her hands. That was why she now sat with a small piece of paper and pen in her lap.  _Rapunzel,_ it read.  _I'm so sorry, I hope you understand I had no choice, thank you for all your help and all you've done. Please take care of the library. Belle._

She planned to give it to Jasmine and hope that she'd take it to Rapunzel the moment that-

Her heart suddenly jumped into her throat. Aladdin. He was back. Coming around the corner, at a brisk pace, perhaps, but certainly not in any kind of unusual away that would make anyone think he was guilty of anything.

"That was fast," she muttered glancing down at the clock. He'd barely been gone ten minutes.

"You don't know Aladdin," Jasmine muttered from the backseat. She made a motion to get out of the car but before she could Aladdin very coolly opened the front door and slid in himself right where Zelena had been.

She looked him over cautiously, but for once he was difficult to read. "Well?" Jasmine finally demanded.

"Is…this your wand?" he questioned pulling something long and thin from his jacket.

She felt herself break into a smile at the familiar piece of wood. "Yes!" she breathed excitedly snatching it up from his hand. She examined it once more to be sure, but only beamed further as she looked at it. "Yes, that's it!"

"What happened? Any problems? Did he catch you?" Jasmine demanded.

"Nah, never even saw me! And now the rest…is up to you," he commented looking her over. "I take it you know what to do with that to get yourself somewhere safe?"

She nodded her head and held the wand close. "Thank you. Thank you so much."

"Don't mention it. It's good for me karma!"

"We should go," Jasmine interjected from the backseat. "We should get as far away from here as we can, just in case."

"You should go back to Granny's, without me," she suggested. "If he finds it's missing you don't want to be seen with me. This way you can just pretend like nothing ever happened."

"She's right," Aladdin confirmed. "It's best to stick to what we normally do and not meet for a while."

"Or ever," she corrected looking at the wand. If this worked, then she wouldn't be coming back to Storybrooke, not for the foreseeable future and she just wished…she thought of Rapunzel, of the text messages and calls she'd ignored from her since this morning, asking her to come and talk to her. She couldn't do that now. She couldn't waste time. It was precious when dealing with the Dark One. She was sorry for the way that this had to end, but it was just the way it had to be. "Could you do me one last favor?" she asked, turning to Jasmine instead of Aladdin.

"Another one? As if this hadn't been enough?!"

"In the town library you'll find a woman named Rapunzel…could you give her this note for me? I promise this is the last you'll hear of me."

Jasmine looked at the small slip of paper that she was offering her and then back up into her eyes. They became softer almost instantly, skeptical in a way as well. She glanced at Aladdin, then the note, and finally back to her again. "Are you sure there isn't another way? Are you sure this is all that can be done to help you?!"

Honestly? No. She wasn't sure. There was no part of her that was happy about this decision, or relieved, or certain. And at the moment she would have given anything for this to be different. For Rumple to pursue anything that didn't involve the Shears or the Evil Queen or cowardice, for them to take their child home and raise him together, to not have to fear for any of their lives. But that wasn't the situation she found herself presented with. This was what she had to do. If she could change it, she would…but he wouldn't. She had to think of her son now.

"Yes," she lied with a smile. "No regrets. Can you take this to Rapunzel? Please."

"The library, you say?" Jasmine questioned almost sadly as she took the paper from her.

She nodded. "Yes, it's hers now." Jasmine and Aladdin exchanged glances before he nodded and they got out of the car in unison. Their walk was quiet as they sulked along down the street, Jasmine with her arms around herself as she went. But before they reached the corner and vanished out of sight she watched as Aladdin purposefully and playfully took a small step too close to the left and gently bumped into Jasmine. She glanced up, and she saw the beginnings of a smirk before she gave him a bump back. He reached out and put his arm around her shoulders and watched as she melted into the friendly and intimate touch like it was a cool glass of water in a desert. No, it was certainly not a romantic relationship…for now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, sorry, I hate this chapter too. There just isn't a whole lot to it. It didn't go with the last chapter and it didn't go with the next chapter so we'll call it a filler chapter and be done with it. Sorry. Only one chapter stands between us and a really good talking to! 
> 
> Peace and Happy Reading!


	42. The Flaw in the Plan

She tried to keep her mind clear as she drove through the streets of Storybrooke one last time. There were temptations at every corner. Throughout Main Street, she had the urge to find Rapunzel and Granny to tell them good-bye the way that she felt was deserved. But she resisted, knowing that in the end they would either understand or they wouldn't and it there would be no difference because she wouldn't be around for either acceptance or denial. As she drove through the residential area she was tempted to go back to her former pink house, to pick up her mother's necklace and the rose Mother Superior had given her. But again she managed to resist, knowing that it was simply time she couldn't take. And then there was the cemetery. The urge was the strongest when she thought of Neal, of leaving his body here as she went back to the Enchanted Forest. But she'd never needed a headstone to talk to Neal when she needed him. She'd break the news to him when she got to the Enchanted Forest, to safety. She'd make him a nice memorial that she could visit whenever she wanted to. He of all people would understand.

When she pulled up at Zelena's farmhouse, the lights were on inside. She had a moment of worry, similar to what she had for Jasmine and Aladdin in the car, for when Rumple found his car parked outside his farmhouse and put two and two together. But she immediately dismissed her fears. To begin with, if she didn't have time to say good-bye to Rapunzel, then she didn't have time to worry about Zelena. Also, Zelena wasn't like Jasmine and Aladdin. She had magic. She was capable of defending herself. As for Aladdin and Jasmine…

She had no former relationship with them, and they were new in town. She hadn't even known who they were or what Aladdin could do until Regina had told her a few days ago! There was no reason for Rumple to suspect them. And if by chance he did? Jasmine had said herself that they were looking for Agrabah, the likelihood of them being in town much longer with her determination was small. They would be fine.

She, on the other hand, if she stayed much longer, would not be.

"Zelena?!" she called letting herself into the house without knocking.

Immediately she heard a hiss from down the hall, and the woman's body was framed in the kitchen's doorway. "I'm in here, and I just got her down for a nap. Keep your voice down."

"Sorry," she muttered coming into the room. She opened her mouth to make a comment about little Robin sleeping but found Zelena's eyes on her. They were wide with surprise.

"I don't believe it! That Street Rat actually managed to find it!" she shrieked louder than she had yelled after entering the house.

She nodded, looking at the wand in her hand. But as Zelena took a few steps closer to her she suddenly had a flip of anxiety in her stomach and pulled it closer to her. This was the Wicked Witch of the West after all and while she knew that she had opened portals before with this wand, her only memory of seeing her do it was when it had summoned a tornado.

"You do know what you're doing with this…don't you?" she questioned hesitantly.

Zelena rolled her eyes. "Well if you want references perhaps we should check in with the people of Camelot! Oh, no, wait, I forgot, we can't, because I sent them back to Camelot! Give them my regards won't you?"

Her sarcasm wasn't appreciated, but Zelena had made her point "Okay…" she sighed finally confident in presenting the wand to Zelena.

And with that, she'd done it. She could rescue her son and get away from here. What happened after this…she had to be brave! Scared or not.

"Hello, pretty," Zelena snickered finally taking the wand in her hands once more and gazing at it with adoration.

Her heart was already pounding. She was leaving the wand here with Zelena; there would be plenty of time for her to adore it later. For now, every second it was away from Rumple was a second closer to his discovery that it was missing. She needed to be gone, now!

"Can we, uh... can we hurry a bit? I really want to be safe in the Enchanted Forest  _before_  Rumple discovers it's gone."

There was a familiar sound of magic behind her that immediately made her heart jump into her chest. "Too late."

The wand…Zelena wasn't holding it anymore!

"Rumple!" she gasped her voice wavering as she looked over her shoulder.

The wand was in his hands and he was tucking it into his jacket already. She felt her stomach turn into knot after knot that had nothing to do with morning sickness.

One for being discovered.

One for having the wand stolen.

One for knowing that she'd never have the opportunity again.

One for being in his presence.

One for whatever their son would face because of this man.

"I knew that street rat wasn't digging around my shop for himself. And I cannot let you take our child away from me…" she watched him as he moved closer to her. She had only a moment to wonder if she could reach in his jacket and throw the wand to Zelena to take it to safety before he pulled something that glittered out of his pocket, grabbed her wrist, and fixed it over her skin so fast and smooth she never even had a moment to react. The moment he sealed it over her arm, the gold bracelet shined with golden light, and she felt the familiar vibrations of magic travel up her arm and through her body. She added another knot in her stomach when it moved over the spot below her belly button. She tried to pull her arm free, but he wouldn't release it. "So now, no matter where you go, I'll find you."

She never wavered in his gaze as she put the pieces in place. A tracking spell. He'd enchanted this…this thing with his own magic so that he could track it and thus her. She had a feeling, knowledge that even when he released her wrist she could try as hard as she wanted but she'd never get this bracelet this…this shackle off.

"You really are a beast," she muttered, far more to herself than to him. What a realization. He trapped her on the ship, and she'd nearly died. Now he was chaining her to him once more in a way so treacherous the Evil Queen couldn't have even thought this up, and he had the gall to stand there and look guilty?!

"Call me what you will, but it comes from love...my love for our child and you."

He finally released her arm, and as she got her first look at her lavish prison guard, she felt that same fiery anger that she'd felt for him on the ship flare up and consume her. Love?! He was still proclaiming all his actions done in the name of love?! And that was just supposed to excuse them?! To make it all better?!

"You...you call this love?" she cried following after him. Love was imprisoning her and taking away her freedom! Instead of talking to her, instead of taking a chance and doing the right thing and earning her love and their child's he would just prefer to take it?! This had nothing to do with "love". This shamed love! And this didn't exactly make her want to sit here in Storybrooke and wait for the inevitable. The Apprentices Wand be damned! This prison be damned! She'd get away from him if it was the last thing she did!

"You're scared, Rumple. I-I almost won today. And next time, I will run so fast and so far that you will never even set eyes on this child," she declared.

All looks of guilt and sadness faded from his eyes at her proclamation. The man was gone. The father of her child was gone. Her husband was far from his mind. She felt a shiver roll up her back as the Dark One stared her down with a look of hate that he had never once shown her in all the time that she'd known him. Her body wanted her to back away from his advance, but she held her ground. He couldn't hurt her. Hurting her would threaten the child that he wanted for his own.

"Let me remind you, dearie, that Rumpelstiltskin takes children, not the other way 'round," he hissed.

"Tell that to your firstborn," Zelena commented across the room. She'd nearly forgotten that she was there. But the Dark One didn't. He didn't even take his eyes off of her as he reached out and growled. "You do not get to speak!"

Too much happened all at once! There was the sound of gagging as Zelena fought to breathe through his magical grasp. Then a flash of pain on his face, that grew and grew until he sank away and melted into the refrigerator. Zelena let out a small sound like a laugh. She placed her hand over her child as the look in his eyes shifted, and the Dark One gave way to Rumpelstiltskin, and she had to fight the urge to rush forward and help him.

"What...what's happening?" she questioned looking over at Zelena who was suddenly no longer choking against an invisible hold. What had she done to him?! Why was he gasping like that?! "What..."

"That is called a heart attack," Zelena explained walking forward.

She gasped as she watched him clutch his heart. A heart attack?! Like what had killed him when he'd been away from her? In New York?

Zelena let out a chuckle. "I think he forgot that his little ticker only tocks thanks to me. See, when I saved your life back in that New York hospital, I didn't do it out of the kindness of my heart. We had a deal, remember? So whenever you hurt me..." Zelena let out a wicked laugh as Rumple stood solid on his own two feet again. "You're only hurting yourself."

For all of one second, Rumpelstiltskin looked scared, but that quickly morphed into anger and then composure as he caught his breath. "There's one more thing Rumpelstiltskin's quite good at…and that's finding loopholes. We are far from done, dearie," he threatened before making the motion that caused him to vanish in a flash of black smoke.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really hate this chapter. I have tons of opinions on it, obviously. But I think this is one of those that I'm also going to throw into the category of keeping to myself. If you really need to know my opinions of it, then send me a review or private message, but otherwise, I'll remain mute on it. Sorry, I just refuse to alienate people over a fictional television show.
> 
> The next chapter is interesting, but the chapter that follows is one where we're going to have some real talk because while I have various opinions of what happened in this scene as everyone does, there is also something else going on here that usually doesn't get addressed and I think it needs to get addressed. Admittedly, I wrote about 50% of this something, but the other 50% came from the show so it was a mutual work. Get ready. Peace and Happy Reading!


	43. The Aftermath of Failure

It took moments for exactly what had happened in the last minute and a half to properly sink in. In the aftermath Zelena looked nearly as lost and confused as she felt…nearly.

She felt sadness sink into her. A sadness like she had never experienced before. A sadness that made her want to sink into the ground, melt into a puddle, and just lie there because moving forward from this spot seemed an impossible task. Her wrist felt heavy. The gold that encircled it was thin and light, but it felt as though a three hundred pound weight had been attached to her arm. There was give and slack to the chain that bound her, but she could feel where the other end led even if she couldn't see it. It led back to the shop, it led back to Rumpelstiltskin. She dropped into the kitchen chair and stared at it there on her arm.

"Can you get it off?!" she cried, her voice cracking just as her hopes had a moment ago.

Zelena looked at her sympathetically and didn't say anything, just stepped up to her and waved her hand over the bracelet. It glowed bright white for a moment then stopped as Zelena pulled her hand away as though it had burned her. "Binding charm," she muttered. "And a powerful one, placed on the skin with the Dark One's magic. It's not going anywhere until he wants it off."

"Then cut off my hand!" she begged as tears rolled down her cheeks. "Find something sharp and cut me free of him!"

Zelena shook her head. "It won't make a bit of difference," she explained almost gently. "It's The Spell of the Dragon! A binding spell placed over the bracelet that feeds magic into your skin. Even if I were to remove it the amount of magic that thing is leaking into your body...it would still be a year before it wore off entirely. Until the spell is removed completely by the person who placed it on you…I'm sorry…there's nothing I can do."

So she was trapped, trapped by a spell that he'd placed over her with glittering jewels. That was so…it was just…

This oozed Rumpelstiltskin in every single way.

She wanted so much to drop her head into her hands and cry, to just remain motionless at the table and stop. Stop everything. Her pregnancy. Her imprisonment. Her life. Her-

No. She didn't want to stop her son. Like a balm to her wounds the images of the sonogram came back to her, the heartbeat she'd heard echoed in her mind and she knew that it was pounding away somewhere right now just below her belly button. She didn't want that heartbeat to stop, she didn't want it to go away, and she most certainly didn't want it to change, or be altered by a pair of scissors! All this meant was that it was time once again to get serious about figuring out a way to make sure her son wasn't born his father's prisoner.

She thanked Zelena for her help, in a truly heartfelt way that frankly astounded her. The witch offered a nod and before she could catch herself answered "of course". The words seemed to surprise even her and she quickly spooked backing away from her as if whatever they'd shared burned her, or perhaps she was just nervous about the tears that were still leaking out of her eyes. Zelena didn't exactly seem the type to understand emotion or be comfortable around it.

She drove. To nowhere. To anywhere. For a long time she just drove. With each turn she hoped she'd feel alone, feel unbound or free. But each new twist carried that same old feeling like there were eyes staring at the back of her head, knowing exactly where she was, what she was doing, and where she was going. It was well past midnight by the time she turned back into Storybrooke's Main Street and parked the car as far away from the Pawn Shop as she could simply because it was the only act of defiance she could manage. If he wanted the car back he'd have to work for it.

She had expected to go back to the docks and sleep for a bit, but as she walked down the street she saw that the lights in the library, not the apartment, were still on. It was a silly thing given her state, but her first thought was that it was well beyond closing time and she couldn't figure out why the lights would still be on this late.

Hallow, she wandered inside, her arms wrapped around herself and was immediately greeted with the sound of sniffles. There, behind the circulation desk on the floor sat Flynn Rider with his arm around Rapunzel. Her eyes were red rimmed, her cheeks puffy, and her face turned into his chest. She was crying. A small piece of paper with her own writing was on the floor in front of them.

Flynn almost immediately looked up at her and his eyes went wide. "I don't believe it…" he whispered.

Rapunzel shrugged off his shoulder at the words and followed his gaze, her eyes finally landing on her. She stared at her for a moment as if she was a ghost, as if questioning whether she was real or not then slowly got to her feet and timidly stepped out from behind the circulation desk. Suddenly, convinced that she was indeed real, the woman stepped forward quickly and gave her a half hearted punch in the shoulder…that still managed to hurt.

"Ow!" she cried grabbing her shoulder.

"You…you…you just…" before she could get her strained words out Rapunzel had reached forward and hugged her so tight her arm hurt again. Then pulled away to reveal knit eyebrows and pursed lips. "Just like that?! A note?! A note is all we get! You run out of here never to be seen and just send us a note from a stranger?!" she hit her arm again and Flynn Rider stepped forward to take her shoulders and gently pull her away. "I'm fine!" she insisted not looking at him and freeing herself from his grasp. "I'm fine but…you listen here Belle Gold," she stated taking a step closer again. "You are full of hormones right now and I can forgive you when you become a mean insane pregnant woman, but if you ever do something stupid like that again to me, I will cross the realms and figure out how to give you a piece of my mind you…you…you ridiculous little…nerf-herder!"

She barely had time to open her mouth before her arms were around her again, hugging her. This one was considerably longer than the last and finally allowed her to put her hands up on her back. Over her shoulder she saw Flynn Rider cross his arms in front of him with a look of amusement about the entire situation.

Finally Rapunzel pulled away and grabbed for her hands. "I'm sorry I hit you. Never do that to me again, promise me…" she begged gently.

She felt tears begin to roll down her cheeks at the look of desperation she was giving her. She had no idea just how important she was to this woman, her friend. But it was good to know that someone in this town cared so deeply about her in such a good way.

"I won't," she answered. "I promise, I won't be going anywhere for quite some time thanks to this." She held up her wrist and showed them the golden shackle. Rapunzel immediately grabbed her arm to look it over.

"What's this?" she questioned. "You didn't leave with it and…how are you still here? I thought for sure I was never going to see you again."

She couldn't manage a smile as she pulled her arm back and looked it over herself. "I failed," she admitted sadly. "I failed and…and this is now my prison."

Rapunzel gave her a sad look, understanding something that she hadn't said yet and then reached out to put her hand over her shoulder. "Come upstairs…we'll talk it out,  _that's what we're here for,"_ Rapunzel muttered looking at her as though she might never have considered these words before. "We'll eat something and figure this out together."

She nodded in agreement. At some point between Zelena's and the library she'd lost all abilities to fight back only…

She stopped just before she followed them up the stairs and looked between the two of them. "Um…I'm sorry but…nerf-herder?" she questioned looking her friend over.

To her surprise it was Flynn who shrugged. "I shouldn't have let her watch Star Wars."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, straight up truth, everyone can have a favorite character. They can. They have every right to. But one of my biggest pet-peeves is absolute and blind devotion to that favorite character. You can have a favorite character, but you should still be able to see the flaws and wrongs that your favorite character commits. In other words, my favorite character isn't perfect but neither is yours. Belle has been my favorite character since I first saw Skin Deep, I loved Rumbelle, but Belle has always been a favorite of mine. That being said, she has some serious flaws that I really felt this chapter and a few of the others have dealt with but I feel most of them can be summed up with one word, "irony". The irony of Belle is that she lacks the traits she most admires. For example, for someone who really values selflessness, I think she's a pretty selfish person. I think we've seen that again and again on this show. But this chapter and those before it really exist to showcase the fact that I think she's also really egotistical. She absolutely admires those who do things for the good of everyone but too often she makes herself the one woman band. The conversation with Rapunzel saying "I'm here to help you" has taken place several times on purpose and that is because despite those conversations Belle takes a very "I'm in this alone" attitude. This conversation with Rapunzel, in this chapter alone, is really meant to bring that out. All that Rapunzel has done for Belle and she just makes this plan without her, intends to leave her with nothing but a note that says "I'm gone". This, in my opinion, is the worst thing she's done in this fiction. It's one thing to alienate your enemies; it's another thing entirely to alienate your friends. It's incredibly egotisitical and selfish for her to just completely disregard everyone in order to pursue what she does here. She doesn't think of the collateral damage that comes with beating Rumpelstiltskin, that this crazy plan she has means she'd going to take herself away from Rumple but also Granny, Rapunzel, the library, her father, all these other people who care about her and might actually help. I really wanted this chapter to showcase that, the collateral damage of being too independent. It's selfish and cowardly, and there is no getting around that. Still, I know she's got some serious flaws. But she's still my favorite character. Doesn't have to be yours, but I love her flaws and all.
> 
> Thank you, Taisch for your comments. I do hop you will enjoy this chapter. It is meant to be a bit of comic relief as well as realization. I figured that at this point Belle isn't really going to listen to many people, but if she is going to listen to anyone, it'll be Rapunzel. And really, if anyone deserves to tell Belle "you f^&*ed up" it would be Rapunzel. Also, who doesn't love a good Star Wars reference? Peace and Happy Reading!


	44. Losing Hope

Flynn Rider and Rapunzel were two of the best people she had ever known in her life. Without question. She'd always thought of Rapunzel as a friend, but it wasn't until this night that she considered Flynn someone she could lean on as well. She went over the story of what had happened throughout the day, they talked about it until two in the morning when the events that had taken place suddenly started to take effect, and she felt her eyes grow heavy. She tried to excuse herself and go back to the Jolly Roger but Flynn only shook his head.

"You're not going back there, not alone at least," he stated protectively.

"I don't understand why not. He'll find me wherever I am."

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean he has to find you alone."

"If not the Jolly Roger, then where?" she challenged with a small smile. His concern really was sweet. "We've been here before. Granny's has no room, this place is too small-"

"This place is but mine isn't. We'll go there. There's a guest room. You two can bunk there and we'll figure this out tomorrow."

And just like that it was decided. She didn't argue. Rapunzel began to pack. And no one mentioned that tomorrow was today. They simple gathered together a small bag, locked the library, got into Flynn's car, and drove away.

She was rather surprised when they pulled up in front of a grand house, not far from Rumple's own, a thought that made her blood chill with nerves for a moment before she realized it wouldn't matter because he'd know right where she was no matter where she went. Still, the house was a grand old victorian and knowing Flynn, it just didn't seem to match his personality. She had no idea who he had been in his cursed state but she never would have believed he would want a house like this. It was grand. And he was far too simple.

"It's bigger than I expected," she commented as they walked up the stairs and into the front door. The foyer on it's own was the size of her studio's living room.

"That's what she said…"

She turned toward the feminine voice and found a teenage girl, probably fifteen or sixteen, draped over a couch in what appeared to be the family room. She was dressed in sweat pants and a tank top, with her hair pulled back on top of her head. Clearly, she was ready for bed, and if she was that comfortable in this house, then the stranger could only be one person. Flynn's infamous sister. The one who had been held captive by a witch since birth because of her hair. The one he had met Rapunzel rescuing while she'd been in Camelot. The one that she'd never met. It had to be her.

"Ayana…way past bedtime," Flynn commented as he and Rapunzel joined her inside the foyer.

The girl only rolled her eyes and plucked herself up off the couch. "It's Saturday. And I'm fifteen. I don't need bed times anymore. And aren't I supposed to be at that age where I make stupid mistakes and learn by paying for them the next day?"

"Aren't you supposed to be in bed?" her brother persisted.

Again the girl rolled her eyes and mumbled something she couldn't hear before heading up the staircase.

"Sorry, she's…independent," he explained as she let her feet fall heavy on the stairs. Both he and Rapunzel flinched at the sound of a door slamming, but she only smirked. In some ways, it was nice to know that teenagers would always be teenagers.

"A little independence never hurt anyone," she muttered softly. She liked her already but could easily admit that a couple of comments and thirty seconds of face time was hardly enough time to make a judgment on personality. It wasn't her place.

"Yeah, well, this whole thing is still new to both of us..." Flynn sighed before picking the small bag Rapunzel had packed up off the floor and leading the pair of them upstairs and into a room with what looked like a Queen size bed. She noticed that half the drawers already had clothes in them. They were Rapunzel's.

"This is where I stay when I spend the night. We agreed that with Ayana in the house, and seeing as how she's at an age where the other kids are constantly pressuring her to…well we figured it would work better," Rapunzel explained when he left them alone.

"Doesn't he spend the night at the flat? She seems smart, she must know..."

Rapunzel blushed. "Yeah, well...like he said...they're still trying to sort out this whole big brother, little sister thing."

She only nodded and looked around the room as she reminded herself that it wasn't her place. Besides, there was so much else to look at here than she ever would have thought. It was easy to distract herself from Flynn and Ayana. This must be what shock felt like. On top of everything that she'd seen and done today, seeing him with a house like this, insisting his sister go to bed…she'd never known Flynn to be so…domestic!

"It's big," was the only comment she managed to make before stealing what looked like a T-shirt to sleep in.

"Yeah…it was part of his curse apparently. Both parents were dead in the Enchanted Forest before he came here but he spent twenty-eight years alone in this house, thinking it belonged to them and he was unworthy of it. His memories told him that they'd died in a car crash coming to get him after he stayed out too late. Of course he knows that's not true now but the memories still haunt him. I think that's why he enjoys having people here. Keeps the quiet out."

There was no more talking the rest of the night. Rapunzel got into the bed on one side and she got into the bed on the other. After a while she heard Rapunzel's breathing even out and awaited the peace and serenity of oblivion, though she would take the Red Room if it was offered…but sleep never came. She watched the room, her eyes wide as she silently let the tears gather in her eyes and slide down onto the pillow. She gazed at her bracelet, at the thing that was standing in the way of truly helping her son. With all her might she tried to loosen it from her wrist, thinking that even if the magic stayed at least she wouldn't have to look at it, but there was no give to the thing at all. It stayed right there on her wrist where he'd secured it.

The next day, after they awoke and had breakfast together, tired as she was the three of them dragged themselves down to the library and closed it. No visitors were welcome. Rapunzel had insisted that they were going to figure something out, but she was starting to lose hope.

How many times had she come to this library for help in the last two weeks? How many times had she actually found what she was looking for? She felt as though the odds were so stacked against her, she didn't even get her hopes up every time Rapunzel questioned a find. They always seemed to go bad.

Binding Spells were powerful spells all on their own and when she added to that fact that Rumple had been the spell caster and used the Spell of the Dragon on her, there was very little chance of breaking it completely. A true Binding Spell was like a poisoned dart. It used an object as a safe hold for the spell and then slowly leaked that magic into the object or objects that it touched. In this case the bracelet was the dart and her body was what the magic was marking. Zelena was right, even if they did get the bracelet off, the magic would still be within her skin, telling Rumple right where she was and now her son as well. There was no breaking it. He was smart. One step ahead of her as always.

In the end, she found herself paging absent mindedly through an old favorite,  _Her Handsome Hero,_ thinking of all the adventures and heroic deeds her son would never get to do when Rumple's plan succeeded all because she had failed. In trying to help she had doomed her son even more.

"What's that?" Rapunzel asked when she got too quiet.

"Nothing," she attempted, closing the book and set it aside.

Rapunzel only stood up and came around the table to look. "I tried that very same thing on you a few days ago…" she muttered. " _Her Handsome Hero_?"

She nodded. "It's a book my mother read to me as a child, one of my favorites, about a shepherd boy named Gideon, who goes on this great adventure and proves that despite the fact he was born a shepherd, he's a true hero worthy of the Princess's heart…his true love. I always dreamed I'd read it to my children one day. I always hoped that they'd grow to love Gideon as much as I did and want to be like him but now…"

Rapunzel hugged her and tears crept out of her eyes once more. She'd done that far too often over the last few days. She wished more than anything that she could look forward to a day when it wouldn't, but she just couldn't see that day in her future. Perhaps that was why everything seemed so bleak at the moment.

"Don't give up," Rapunzel urged as they took their books and went back to Flynn's house for dinner. "We're going to find something. Don't forget, you have so much time between then and now, that is time we can use to find the answer. I believe it exists, if you do too then we will succeed."

Would they? Because it was beginning to feel like time was just as much their enemy as it was their friend. After all, every day that passed and they didn't find an answer was just one more day Rumpelstiltskin could use to plot. The clever cuff was obviously what he had come up with even before she knew that she was going to run. How would he outsmart her next?

"What if…what if we don't need to break the spell, what if we just blocked it?" Rapunzel asked the next day as they sat at the library's table, trying to figure out their next move. She'd finally given up on wearing her dress and instead wore something Ayana had lent her before she left. It fit awkwardly on her, but at least it was in a good way. She imagined on the tall girl the dress would come only just barely to her mid-thigh. On her it fell to her knees and with her cream jacket over it she was comfortable enough that she didn't care about what she was wearing.

"Blocked it how?" she questioned, feeling that same energy of hopelessness creep up on her.

"Well, according to this book there are ways to block magic, usually for a short time, objects and spells and such…I mean…I know that the Evil Queen has sealed the town line but…all we would need is a way around the protection spell. Then we block the magic and send you across. Or we could try to steal the wand again and then send you to another realm. I know neither is ideal but…"

She was already shaking her head. They were good plans, but there were problems with them. "Leaving Storybrooke and living in this world aren't enough. Rumple is clever. He orchestrated his return from the other side of a computer! He'd find me somehow and I don't want to sleep with one eye open the rest of my life, wondering what day he'll come back and take my baby."

"But there's no magic out there," Rapunzel insisted. "He would be powerless and limp. And it's not like Flynn and I will let you go alone. We'll all go. Ayana isn't that adjusted to school here and he wouldn't mind up and moving."

"And your parents?" she argued. The suggestion silenced her quickly enough, but only for a second.

"They'll live. We'll figure it out," she persisted with less certainty.

She was touched by the gesture, truly she was. How far she was willing to go for her was something she hadn't experienced before, but she just couldn't let her do it. For starters, she and Flynn, while clearly in love, were only dating. Rapunzel didn't have the right to speak for him or his teenage sister and change their lives on her behalf. It would have meant Rapunzel would do exactly what she had tried to do. It just wasn't fair. "That's kind of you but…there is more than just you and Flynn involved.

"Besides, leaving Storybrooke, it just wouldn't be enough, he'd find us eventually and figure out a way to get my son. That was why going to the Enchanted Forest was so perfect! He would find us eventually of course but it would be more difficult to get to us."

"So we'll figure out a way to send you there. We'll block the magic and get you there."

"It wouldn't work. You don't know Rumple like I do. The second he realizes the magic is blocked he will go to the last place he tracked me. And even if we managed to time it right he'd know just where to go and the magic would probably help him make a loophole to get there. This bracelet is the biggest problem we've got. So long as I have it the only hope I have of saving my son would mean-"

She stopped dead the moment the thought crossed her mind. At first, she felt nothing but jubilation that she'd figured out the way around it, but her next thought was one of instant devastation. She wished she'd never had the thought. But if it was the only way to save her son…how far was she willing to go?

"What?" Rapunzel questioned. "The only hope we have is what?"

"If I leave him," she realized in a small voice. "The only hope I have of saving my son is not being with him. Sending someone else in my place to hide him so that Rumple…" she felt tears gather in her eyes. She was a strong person, brave, but even she had limits. Could she be that brave? Could she be that strong?

"No." Rapunzel was by her side in an instant, grabbing her hand as she knelt beside her. "No, that's not going to happen. We're going to figure this out. We are. A few months from now you are going to hold your son in your arms safe and sound. He'll be yours. I just know it."

She opened her mouth to speak but before she could get the words out the phone rang at the front desk. At first Rapunzel ignored it. But in the absence of words it's shrill tone cut through the air and if Rapunzel hadn't gotten up to find the phone, she would have.

She sat there at the table as Rapunzel got the phone and mumbled words into it quietly. She wanted to believe that Rapunzel was right, that the future her friend had for her was really what would come to pass, but lately she wondered if it was possible for any good to come to her. She felt as though the last few weeks had been nothing but bad luck and anything that could go wrong had. Why should she believe that Rumpelstiltskin wasn't in his shop right now coming up with a way around a plan she didn't even know she was going to make yet?

"Belle?" she glanced up to find Rapunzel in front of her once more. "That was Emma, she's on her way to pick you up. Mother Superior called…she said there is something you need to see."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so we've arrived at 6x09. This is officially the homestretch. ML&U ends in 6x09, just after Belle gives the baby away. (Oh, spoiler alert.) Why? Why end it there when there is still 6x10 in the 6A fiction. Those familiar with Moments know that I don't always follow the season finales and openers perfectly. Instead, I choose to follow the story line. I felt that particular moment in 6x09 was where the Rumbelle 6A story line ended and the next we see of them is where the 6B story line began. It's arguable, for sure. People are going to have different opinions about it, but those were my feelings on the subject, and I am the author, so that will be the way it'll go. Difficult as it will be, I do think you'll enjoy what's coming afterward.
> 
> Thank you, Taisch for your kind words on the last chapter. I was glad that went over well and that the Star Wars comment made people happy. I hope you like this chapter. I did say at the beginning that Flynn was going to prove to be a friend to Belle, it's small here, but I think that it was significant, at least in my mind. We also saw a bit more of his own story here and finally met the sister that's been discussed since 5A! We'll see more of her in the future, though not as much as I'd like. Well, eight more chapters from here. Can we manage? We've made it this far...Peace and Happy Reading!


	45. A Horror Story

"Do you want me to go with you?" Rapunzel questioned gently as Emma's yellow bug pulled up to the library. She had the feeling that Rapunzel was one of the few people who knew just how fragile she felt at the moment. Still, she declined the offer.

She was fragile; there was no question about that. She felt worn down and tired like she never had been before. It was worse than the sadness she'd had when Rumple had left her for Neverland. Worse than the feeling she'd had when Rumpelstiltskin had died. Even worse than the feeling she'd had when Neal had disappeared and then died, leaving her alone forever. But the problem was that she wasn't entirely comfortable letting people know how ground down she was. And she certainly was not going to walk out this door using Rapunzel as support and risk letting Rumpelstiltskin look out the window and see the effect he had on her. Was she strong enough to send away her son, she didn't know. Was she strong enough to do this? Yes.

She took a deep breath, shook her head, and muttered "just keep looking" before taking her strides out to the car and sliding into the backseat next to Regina of all people. "Whoa…you alright?" Emma questioned looking her over as though she could sense the black cloud hanging over her.

"Yeah, what is it that Mother Superior wants?"

"No idea," Killian answered as they pulled away. "Just said we needed to see something."

The ride up to the convent was quick but quiet, two things that she was incredibly thankful for because she didn't think she could handle a conversation. Still, her stomach was in knots. She had no idea what Mother Superior wanted to show her and why she would call Emma and Killian as well as Regina and not just her. It didn't seem plausible, they all served different purposes in this town. Why they needed to be together and why Mother Superior didn't call her herself, that was suspicious all on it's own. She had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach she knew what or who was behind all this.

"What's he done now?" she found herself muttering on her way up.

A couple of fairies, including Mother Superior met them when they pulled up to the lot. "Good, you came quickly," Mother Superior stated as they got out of the car.

"Yeah, what's so important it couldn't wait?" Emma asked.

"Follow me," she ordered breathlessly.

Inside the convent, they were taken through the halls until they found a woman, sitting by the window in a wheelchair. She was dressed in blue, like the other sisters, but her hair was graying and her skin was wrinkled. She was flanked on either side by two more fairies and holding one of their hands so tight she could see the color drained out of the other fairy's knuckles. She was frantic. Although she could not exactly hear what she was saying to the other fairies she could see that she was clearly agitated. Talking to the others in a hurried voice with her brows furrowed. She looked like she was going to break into tears at any moment. When she looked up and saw the group of them, she nearly did.

"No!" she exclaimed in an odd wispy voice. "No! Get me away from here! She's one of them!"

She…

Belle looked over her shoulder and noticed that it wasn't all of them that she had reacted to. Only Regina. But then that meant…

The Evil Queen…

"This is Violet, she's one of our youngest Fairies," Mother Superior stated, dismissing one of the fairies she'd been talking to and placing a hand on her shoulder. "The laugh that created her was only about forty years before the curse. In fact, she was only in training when it struck."

At first she saw nothing important in the information that Mother Superior had presented her with. In fact, it made very little sense why she would bother telling them at all…until she looked at Blue and then back at Violet. She glanced at all the fairies wandering around, she remembered Astrid and Tinkerbell, and all the other fairies she'd met in her lifetime. Suddenly she saw the problem.

"Why does she look like that?" she questioned openly, realizing at last that no other fairy she'd ever encountered looked so old. Gray hair? Wrinkles? This was not exactly the fresh youthful appearance that the other fairies had! And Violet was one of the youngest?!

"It was meant to be a message," the woman in the chair explained with a small voice. "For you."

The knot she already had in her stomach tightened.

"For me?"

"We found Violet this morning, once she'd recovered enough to use some of her magic to summon our help. It was a special dust, grown from an ancient plant. It no longer exists today, but we've had issues with this kind of dust before," Mother Superior explained. "It tends to age people prematurely, as you can see with Violet. How much depends on just how much is used. According to Violet, she was confronted by a man with great Dark Magic in possession of the dust last night walking back from delivering goods to the school. She ran into a factory and he trapped her there, tied her up."

"You know," the woman responded still looking at Regina. She hadn't taken her fearful eyes off of her since they arrived. "That was when you arrived."

Emma looked over her shoulder at Regina and she knew that she understood as well who exactly it was that had done this. "Violet," she murmured carefully. "This is Regina, Mayor Mills and she wasn't the one who hurt you last night. It was her…Evil Twin. Can you tell us what happened to you?"

Violet looked over Regina skeptically for a few moments until Emma stepped forward, kneeled down, and took one of her hands.

"Please, we'd just like to help you."

Violet swallowed hard. "They talked for a long time. I hoped they'd forget about me. But they didn't."

"What did they talk about?" Emma asked.

"Murder," she answered bluntly. "The man wanted you to kill someone, I don't remember the name, but you said 'flesh and blood'."

Emma turned and looked over her shoulder at her. "Zelena," she muttered.

"Did the man say why?" Regina pressed, clearly unaware of what had happened last night. She felt something like guilt rise up inside of her. Surprising, since she didn't particularly care for Zelena, but it was guilt all the same. She was the reason. Because she'd asked Zelena's help this was Rumple's revenge. He couldn't kill her himself, so he was trying to get the Evil Queen to do it. But…why would she…

"It's his price," Violet explained. "She wants a partner to rule with. The man offered himself but only if she killed her sister first."

She had to take a step back in shock. Her words took her breath away. She knew that they were seeing each other but…that?! If the Evil Queen killed Zelena then Rumple would rule by her side. They would be…

She felt sick just thinking about that kind of a proposition. It was a brand new level of ugliness she never expected him to really stoop to! And the dust…

"They tossed the dust at me after that and…" Violets voice broke with emotion.

"She lost her strength after that and they disappeared. I think that's enough for one day," Mother Superior insisted. "Take her back to a room, make her comfortable while we work on reversing it," she instructed the nun beside her.

"That's never been done before," the fairy argued. "I'll stay like this forever."

"No," Mother Superior muttered, quickly taking Emma's place by her side as they moved away. "This is just a chance for us to make history with a new magical discovery."

Mother Superior glanced up at the nun behind the wheelchair and gave her a sharp nod. With that the other fairy began to push her down the hall in her chair. Mother Superior walked beside her a few steps so that they were hand in hand until she stopped and they all watched the women go through the doors only a short distance from them.

"So?" Emma questioned quietly once they were sure she was gone.

"It was the Dark One with the Evil Queen. They're together," Mother Superior stated as she turned. There were tears in her eyes and rightfully so. There was a great sense of sadness in the room, for everyone except her. Oh, she was sad, truly sad. It was a terrible thing to do just to deliver a message. But the overwhelming emotion she felt wasn't fear it was sadness. She hated that, because she knew that was the purpose of the message. She would like to believe it didn't phase her, she would like to show him that she was still above his threats, that she still knew he wouldn't hurt her. But she wasn't sure she did anymore. The message was received. And she was scared.

"I used magic like that when I was the Dark One to speed up Zelena's pregnancy," Emma commented. And that was really the final straw. They'd come to the exact same conclusion that she had only a few seconds later. She would have loved for it to be something else, for Emma to say that she'd used the dust to grow poisonous apples or make Henry taller. But it wasn't. And she knew why.

"This is about me!" she exclaimed. Everyone was thinking it. She was just stating it. "Rumple's going to do the same thing so that he can use the Shears of Destiny to cut our son's ties to his fate. And then…when that happens, he can take him from me, he can corrupt him, or even worse!" She was nearly in tears again. She knew the months Rapunzel had spoken of were too good to be true. Rumple was impatient and he knew her almost as well as she knew him. He wasn't going to sit around and risk her finding the loopholes that would save her child. He was going to take him while he could. And then what would happen?

"If that truly is his plan, then why would he announce it to us?"

She let out a little laugh because it was so obvious to her she couldn't believe the others didn't understand it. "Because he wants me to know what he's doing," she answered. "He's trying to scare me so that I'll go back to him, which I won't do, I can't do."

He wanted her this way. He wanted her alone and scared and without hope so that he would fulfill his words on the dock that day. He wanted her to need to go back to him. He thought that if he did this and gave her no choice she'd go back to him and they'd raise their son together, but…no! He wasn't going to do that and neither was she. She wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of this plan working! Yes, she was tired and yes, she was disappointed in the man she knew was behind the beast but suddenly she knew what that fire he'd made her feel on the docks and last night in Zelena's house could be used for. If she wasn't going to use it to be angry at him. She was going to use it to fuel her determination.

"There has to be a way to stop him." And she was going to find that way if it was the last thing she did! "Take me back to the library. Rapunzel and I have work to do."

"And I need to find my sister," Regina added. "If what the fairy said is true then she needs to be warned."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh, I'm sorry Emma spoke so little. I just don't feel confident writing for her character. Surprisingly that hasn't really been an issue for a while now. It's actually a little odd editing this chapter because it's bringing to life the fact that I have yet to write a chapter with Emma for the fiction I'm writing now and as for editing...I think this is probably one of the first times I've edited an Emma chapter in a long time. It's just a sad reminder of how cut off from everyone Belle truly is until this chapter.
> 
> Peace and Happy Reading!


	46. Dreams Made Real

The ride back to town was as quick as Emma could make it and quieter than she thought it would be. The only one who really made any noise through the entire trip was Regina, who got antsy about halfway home and then said "sorry, Swan, but this just isn't working for me" and then vanished in a cloud of smoke. She wasn't surprised Regina had gone. In all honesty, she had expected her to disappear like that at the convent before they left. Emma pulled up in front of the library and she got out. She would have been in the library in a flash if it wasn't for the fact that behind her she heard the bug's motor shut off. She turned and found Emma and Killian getting out of the car.

"What are you doing? Regina needs your help!"

"If she wanted it she would have asked. Trust me, I think she's got this one covered," Emma explained.

"Right now you need all the eyes you can get," Killian added.

"I've got Rapunzel."

"Great, so there will be four pairs rather than two."

"But I-"

"Are we really debating this right now?" Emma questioned looking completely surprised. "I thought you'd want the help."

"Is there a problem?" she heard Rapunzel's voice over her shoulder and knew she'd come to offer her support as well. It wasn't that she didn't want help, she just wanted the right kind of help. Research could be a tricky thing and training someone to do it could be a wonderful help in the long run but short term it tended to slow her down. Although…

The only one of the four of them that had never helped her with the task before was Emma. Rapunzel had been doing it long enough that she knew her way around the books better than anyone and Killian…it had been a while, but she'd worked with him months ago when they had to get the fairies out of the hat. He wasn't exactly the best, but he was right. Three pairs of experienced eyes were better than two well trained and experienced eyes. Emma would just have to catch on.

"Yes," she answered turning away from them. "We'll tell you inside!"

The four of them retreated into the recesses of the library, back to the table that she and Rapunzel had been using for days and she explained to her everything that the fairy had told her. Her eyes widened with the details but she nodded the entire time, taking the story in entirely so that when she finished she clapped her hands together and said "so we need magical herbology and…"

"Potions," she added for her. "Some standard spell books probably wouldn't hurt either." They could give those ones to Emma.

Together the four of them went back into her closeted collection of rare magical books and each took two or three back to the table. "You're looking for key words," she explained to Emma under the guise of instructing Killian as well. "Don't read the whole thing just skim for words that are relevant. 'Age', 'ancient plant', 'dust', 'protection', 'gold'."

"I get it," she answered sitting down. And so they began their search. Quietly they flipped through page after page, book after book looking for solutions. Killian was studying potions and Emma examined the introductory books. It might have seemed a simple task for the Savior but more than once those books had saved her life. She and Rapunzel were reading up on herbology books searching for the plant that Blue had mentioned in hope that she would be able to find a lead that way. But after a while the words began to blur together.

_"The ancient Jesuite Flower from the former mountain range of Golith was purple in color and used for the shifting of earth. It was believed to have created the mountain range found on it."_

Purple in color…no.

_"All who touched the dust of Blackfishes Snout learned to instantly regret it at bulbous disfiguring growths occurred beneath the victims skin. It is thought to be responsible for the water trolls of Paradisum."_

Disfiguring growths, not what she was looking for.

_"The Snowdrop was often carried in the pockets of travelers as it was believed to protect those carrying it from Dark Magic, it is now only believed that the stench was so horrible, not even Wizards well versed in Dark Magic dared to come near to those who carried it."_

Not even close to what she sought.

_"The Golden Toadstool, now extinct, was popular amongst old male hobits for the way it forced hair removal, therefore giving them the ability to look younger than they truly were."_

Hair removal...that was not going to be useful in defeating Rumple.

She hung her head in her hands. She was just so tired.

"Belle…you doing okay?" Rapunzel questioned across the table. She glanced up and found Rapunzel's chin resting on her hand, looking at her nervously. If they had been there alone she had a feeling she would have gotten up to give her another hug. She alone seemed to sense just how sad and hopeless she truly felt.

Still, she nodded as deceitfully as possible and she opened her mouth to say she was alright, but they all jumped at the sound of a ringing cell phone. It was Emma's.

"Henry," she muttered before rising and putting it to her ear. "Hey, why aren't you in school?" they heard her question as she wandered away.

Rapunzel shook her head and closed the book in front of her. "This is getting ridiculous, I'm going to put some of these away and get some new ones," she explained gathering a few of the books they'd already searched and put side.

"I'll assist," Killian added. "I'm not much help on this front."

They both picked up stacks of books and left for the room leaving her alone. No longer forced to pretend, she dropped her head back in her hands and rubbed her eyes. Four people searching for over an hour and not one of them had found something useful! Add that to two days of her and Rapunzel searching for answers and coming up empty and a sleepless night and she was beginning to feel like she was running on empty. With a groan, she took advantage of her loneliness and rested her head on top of the book in front of her. Would this ever work itself out? Was there an answer out there, waiting somewhere for her?!

There was. But it was one that she didn't like. She could go back. She could give into his requests and go back to him. At least then she'd be with her son, at least then she'd be around to defend him-

But the very thought turned her stomach almost as much as the urge she'd had earlier to send her boy away from her.

She couldn't do it. She wouldn't go back to him. Not so long as he was like this. It would only prove that Darkness could get him anything he wanted and she would not play a part in furthering that particular belief of his. She didn't want to know the kind of damage that it could and probably would do to the rest of the world.

She was right back to the beginning, thinking that terrible thought she'd had earlier of sending him away from her. It was unbearable. The thought of never being able to see her child, never hold him, or read to him, never see him grow into a boy Henry's age and go on his first date or go to school…she didn't know how she'd ever live if she lost him.

But he would live. That was the one and only good thought that kept creeping back into her mind. What did it matter what would happen to her? If she sent him away then he'd live and that was all that mattered. In a perfect world she'd give him to Rapunzel. She'd let her and Flynn and Ayana leave this place with her son and start a family outside of Storybrooke but with the Evil Queen's curse they'd never make it across the borders. It would have to be someone else. Someone who-

She caught herself quickly and sat up in her seat. Now she was just being ridiculous. Nothing had happened yet. She had books and Rapunzel and help. She had all she needed to find the answer she just had to look! She could keep her son! There was no need to plan this way.

The shelf in front of her contained books of magic she'd gone through so many times she practically had their order memorized. "Goldman's  _Treatise on the Metaphysics of Magic,_  Talbot's  _The White Sorcerer's Way_ …what's this?" she questioned stopping by a book that didn't belong. It was small, slim and black and it most certainly was not the book that was supposed to come next that was  _The Layman's Key of Magicians Magic_  by Clavens. This didn't belong here.

"Hildrew's  _Manual on Defeating the Dark One_ ," she read aloud pulling it free. "Huh. I've never seen you before…"

She opened the book to the first page and found an illustration of a line and only a few words written in bold so that the book resembled something of a children's story instead of a manual.

"Follow the strand." She shook her head at the order. "The strand of what?"

She closed the book wondering if it was a book jacket or binding that had gone awry but…

There on the floor. It was a piece of red ribbon. She set the book aside as she stared at it utterly bewildered. It hadn't been there a moment ago she was sure of it. And the strand itself…as she held it in her hand, perfectly weightless she felt the oddest sense of determination come over her. It was magic. It had to be. The ribbon glowed red but didn't give off heat. Magic could be the only solution! But…where would it take her and where had it come from? The stand of ribbon wound its way through the shelves and into the main room…would Rapunzel see it? She followed after it, took a few steps and…she wasn't in the library anymore. She was in a cave. A deep cave, like the kind she'd been taken to when she was kidnapped.

Suddenly, as she followed after the ribbon around the corners of jagged rocks she saw what appeared to be rock formation up ahead. The ribbon went right over and…something was sitting over top of it. She continued on her path, drawing closer to the natural table and was shocked to find…

The Shears of Destiny!

Here!

Right before her was the object making her life a living hell! Was it possible the strand had taken her right to them? Or was it a trick?

She'd been about to take them when she pulled her hand away.

What if this was something of Rumple's doing? What if he was luring her with the thing she wanted most so he could use the dust on her?!

She glanced at the scissors and sighed. That was just a risk she was going to have to take.

She reached out to pick them up only-

They vanished before she could get her hands on them. And as she looked around she realized something about the world that was familiar, something that she hadn't noticed before. The world around her was hazy, dark in places it shouldn't have been and light were there was no reason for it. All at once she knew what was really going on.

"I'm in the dream world again," she exclaimed happily. A dream. She was having a dream! She wasn't in the Red Room or sleeping for nothing. She was dreaming!

"Our dream world."

She turned around at the voice and saw before her a tall man eyes like his father, a mouth like her own, sandy hair that was the perfect cross of the two of them and cheeks like Neal's. It was the man she'd seen the last time she'd been in the Dream World.

"Hello, Mother," he beamed at her.

"My son!" she smiled her legs automatically moving toward him as a happiness she hadn't felt for days, not since the ultrasound swelled in her chest. It erupted in a small giggle as she moved closer and examined him. Dream world or not…he felt so real! "It's really you again!" she exclaimed happily before pulling him into a desperately tight hug! Oh what a wonderful gift at such a devastating time! What a wonderful reminder of what she was working tirelessly for! This feeling. Her son in her arms, hugging her back just as tight! What a relief it was!

"Yes…I've come to warn you," he stated suddenly pulling away and looking down at her. Warn her? "The glowing thread you followed is the strand of my fate. It's what my father plans to cut with these shears as soon as I'm born."

These Shears…they were in his hands. She hadn't noticed until now and…if this was the dream world then they weren't real. She didn't have them in her possession and the moment that she woke up she would still be nowhere. Searching for an answer that may or may not exist.

"I-I'm trying to stop him, but I don't know how."

"You know the answer to saving me is already inside you. It's right here in front of you. You just have to be willing to see it. And do so quickly, or any hope of protecting me will be cut short. Just like my fate."

The warning and instructions came swiftly and quickly and before she could question them something soft fell into her hands. When she raised them, she was surprised to find the red glowing thread in her hands, separating her and her son. Her heart beat faster as she looked at it, as the dream world around her began to feel not just hazy but dark as well. It was terrifying. Just like the dust was terrifying. Before she could understand what happened her son raised the Shears in his hand, and sliced through the red thread!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Would you believe me if I told you this chapter gave me a lot of problems? Looking back it's even difficult to remember those problems but I remember it needed a lot of editing and changing around to get things just right. It was a lot of the movements, people are here and there, Regina is in one place then another, Henry is off on his own, Rapunzel needs to be handled carefully so as not to break canon...it was just a lot. And figuring out exactly how to put her to sleep and describe that dream world without her recognizing it, not as difficult as it was in the beginning of this fiction, but still not easy. I hope it pays off and this chapter works for you.
> 
> Big thank you goes out to Taisch for the comments you kindly left me on the last chapter. Thank you for your opinions of Emma. More than likely it is simply I got lucky by only giving her a few lines. Hopefully, I got just as lucky in this chapter and she's still mostly in character along with Killian. Peace and Happy Reading!


	47. An Acceptable Plan

She awoke with a gasp and sat bolt upright at the table. Her heart was pounding as though she'd had a nightmare but…

But it hadn't been a nightmare. Though those were the only kind of dreams she could ever remember having, though the end of it had been fearful and violent all at once, it had been a lovely dream of her son. And his words…his warning…his solution…

"Belle…" she glanced up to find Rapunzel coming back into the room. One look at her and she put the books she'd been carrying aside and raced to her side. "Belle, what's wrong? What happened?"

She shook her head, trying to catch her breath before standing up and pacing because she felt that if she sat still she might very well explode. "It was a dream! Just a dream but-"

"A dream? Was it the Red Room again?"

"No! No! It was my son! I saw my son and…and he warned me! He warned me…about Rumple trying to cut his fate if I didn't hurry up and find a solution…the solution."

"Okay," Rapunzel breathed for her. "It was just a dream. You're under a lot of stress and haven't been sleeping, you just-"

"No! It was more than that!" she exclaimed. "He told me the answer! He told me it was right in front of me I just had to see it…right in front…" Suddenly she dove for the book on the table that she had put her head upon. "The answer is right in front of me, I just have to see it! It's here! Somewhere in this book or on this page or-"

"What's going on in here?" she turned to find Emma coming back into the room.

"My thoughts exactly," Killian questioned setting his stack of books on the table.

"She's fine," Rapunzel explained. "I think she just fell asleep and had a bad dream."

"It wasn't a dream and it wasn't bad," she insisted once more. "The answer is here! Right here, somewhere in this book!"

"Okay, I think you need to take a deep breath and slow down," Emma commented.

"I'll get her some water," Rapunzel insisted before quickly stepping away toward the offices.

"I don't need to slow down and I don't need water," she exclaimed as Killian moved closer to Emma. "I need to find the answer my son told me about in the dream. It's in this book, it has to be."

"Belle it was just a-"

"It was not just a dream!" she shouted at the woman.

"Swan, let her explain. You know just as well as anyone that dreams can be more than they appear," Killian commented. It took a moment for her shock at the fact that Killian was the one defending her to go away. But in the silence Emma heeded his words and finally nodded.

"Okay…tell me what you saw."

"I fell asleep. You all got up, and I rested my head on the table and must have fallen asleep, but I didn't realize it. I dreamt I was searching for a way to defeat Rumpelstiltskin and then this book appeared. It told me to follow the strand. So I followed the strand and it led to the shears where my son was waiting for me. I've seen him before, when Rumple to took me to the Dream World to wake me up from the sleeping curse.

"So, in my dream, my son said that the answer to stopping Rumple was right in front of me. Didn't say where…" she finished explaining with a deep breath. She was sweating and felt hot and flushed, almost as if she had been in the red room but this was born far more out of excitement than anything else. Though she had to admit that she was suddenly happy Rapunzel had insisted on getting her some water.

Emma looked at the book she was holding. "And this is the book you were reading?" she questioned taking it from her.

"Yeah," she confirmed handing it over for examination. She felt antsy and energized. She felt like her nerves were firing far faster than they were supposed to and she would have to run three miles to burn the energy off! The dream had left her with that sense of urgency! She needed to do something…now! There wasn't even time to explain only to act!

"Yeah, I don't think a spell for the removal of hair is going to help us…" Emma commented as Killian examined the book.

"It's not the spell that's gonna do it, Swan," Killian interjected. Her hope flared. Did he have an idea?! "It's the book itself. Or, rather, the ink it's written in. I'd be a poor excuse for a pirate if I didn't recognize squid ink when I saw it."

"Squid ink," she breathed. Killian was right, Squid Ink could be helpful! It was used for many things in the magical world but one very important thing came to mind first. "It can stun Rumple!"

"Aye. And while he's held, we can take the shears from him!" That was perfect! Take the shears away, hide them somewhere he couldn't get to them and then there would be no need to use the dust because he would have all the elements. It wouldn't be forever; it gave them nothing more than time. But that was enough for now!

"Okay, I can use my magic to extract the squid ink. The question is... how do we dose him?" Emma questioned.

"I can do it," she answered right away. Emma looked doubtful but she wasn't. "He's doing all of this because he thinks it'll force me back to him, and if that's what he wants, then that's what I'm gonna make him think I'm doing." She was the only one that could get close enough to him, the only one he would let get close to him!

Unless one of them wanted to dress up like the Evil Queen…they seemed to be close enough these days.

"Sorry, Belle, but no," Emma rejected. "It just gives Gold an opportunity to use his magic to speed up your pregnancy."

Well, she hadn't thought of that. But, maybe-

"She's right, love," Killian agreed before she could think of anything else to say. "Your dream got us this far. You just have to leave the rest to us."

It wasn't her favorite answer, or her idea of a great plan…but she knew when Emma was unmovable and this was one of those times. Besides, they didn't have the Shears yet and she wasn't prepared to give Rumple the perfect opportunity to sense a trick and dose her when she wasn't looking.

This wasn't an outstanding plan in her mind, it certainly wasn't perfect. But for now, it was acceptable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Getting rid of Rapunzel 101. There were really only four places that I felt Rapunzel's presence in the show was compromised: here, when Rumple arrives, the diner after everything happened, and the birth...so really, everywhere. Up until the birth including Rapunzel's presence without actually including her was really quite simple. I just send her out of the room. I know, it's not the best, but it was either figure out what to do with Rapunzel or go back through the story and delete her entirely which not only posed several problems, story wise, as well as a couple of huge plot holes, but I just couldn't bear it. Maybe because at this point Rapunzel has only ever actually occurred in a one Once Upon a Time episode and at this time I feel like she is far more my character than their character. And I'm a little in love with her at this point. She's my voice of reason and a great friend for Belle and easily one of my favorite characters in this series. So I hope these little disappearances see okay to ya'll and not too awkward. I had to do it.
> 
> Big thank yous to Taisch and Lyddy for your comments. Before anyone asks, yes, I already know that they are including a new Rapunzel in the reboot (I say reboot because I refuse to believe this is the same show). Doesn't really affect my characters, thankfully. Now if they'd used the original Rapunzel, I'd be shaking in my boots, but I think we're all good. After all, if there can be two Ashley's who are at the same University softball team then why not two Rapunzel's in the Enchanted Forest? Peace and Happy Reading!


	48. A Glimpse of a Man

Emma and Hook were out of the library before she had a chance to debate the pros and cons of the plan that they'd presented her with and in the end, she figured that might have been a good thing. Thinking before acting hadn't exactly gotten her very far. Maybe acting before thinking would work. For them, clearly not for her.

"Where did everybody go?" Rapunzel reappeared over her shoulder once more with a glass of water in her hand.

"To the pawn shop, I think," she sighed. "The book was written in Squid Ink, Killian recognized it, and now they have a plan. Stun Rumple with the ink, get the scissors. Hopefully, they'll think to get the dust as well…"

Rapunzel nodded. "Not a bad plan."

Yes, but that also meant it wasn't a good plan either. Not unless she began to make arrangements to change that.

"Here, you should drink this, you look a bit pale," Rapunzel stated handing her the water.

She thanked her but didn't take a sip, instead she stared down into its surface and tapped the side as she thought. "Do you remember that spell we found, the one that allows you to use blood magic to trap an object in stone?" Rapunzel nodded. "Where was that?"

"Um," Rapunzel sighed and looked around the library, staring at the stacks of books still around them despite what she'd taken back to her private collection. "Well it was a few days ago, but I think, it might be over here?" Rapunzel quickly walked over to the circulation desk and began going through the books there before setting one before her. "This one maybe? Or maybe…it could be this one too."

She nodded as she set another before her. "Okay, I'll look for it."

"Why? Is there something you need to hide?"

"If they get the Shears we'll need to put them some place safe. If I can find the spell, I can have Emma enact it so that we keep them away from Rumple for some time. It won't be a permanent arrangement but it-"

"Buys us time," Rapunzel finished sadly. "That's getting to be the motto around here."

Belle pulled the book toward her and began paging through before she nodded, slowly agreeing with her friend. She didn't want it to be true, but Rapunzel was right. She was so tired of living until the next solution ran out. She wished that she could think of something to stop it, she wished she could reconcile and Rumple wouldn't be threatening any of what he was threatening…but she refused to let herself live in a world of dreams. She had to do what was best for her son. No matter the cost.

"I'm going to go back and look some more into that flower," Rapunzel sighed. "Even if you get the Shears you won't really be out of the woods until you can figure out an immunity to that dust. May as well make myself useful. Holler if you need me."

Rapunzel left her alone in the room, and she pushed the second book aside to continue to look through the one before her. That spell. She needed to find it. It would be perfect for this situation. She couldn't use her own blood to seal it of course; it was too risky with the baby inside of her and Rumple with the dust. All Rumple would need to do would be to speed up the pregnancy and prick their child's finger, and he would have entrance to wherever she chose to hide it. But if Emma could do it, that would be ideal. She just had to find it first.

She couldn't sit down like Rapunzel. She was too worked up. Standing at the desk going through the book was good enough. As she searched a shadow on her right side caught her eye, and she felt her heart leap in anticipation that Rapunzel had found something or that Emma and Killian had-

She jumped.

It wasn't Rapunzel.

It wasn't Emma and Killian.

It was Rumpelstiltskin.

"No," she breathed looking around for Rapunzel. She saw no one and carefully took a step away from him. If Emma and Killian were over at the shop and had used the squid ink…where were they? "No, no. How did you..."

Rumpelstiltskin took a breath. "You really think dried squid ink can hold me?" he questioned as if he was bored and she was stupid. Maybe she had been. "I'm far too powerful for that now."

Of course. Of course, he was. She didn't know what he'd done weeks ago, when Killian had died, and Emma thought she'd destroyed the Dark One's curse, but she had long thought that it must have been something awful in order to make him absorb it the way he had. And as if he hadn't been powerful enough, now it appeared he was stronger. And she…she had no strength or magic, only the ability to toss heavy books which she knew he would deflect easily enough. She'd never had any power over him…other than her carefully chosen words. Maybe love was a weapon.

"Look," she muttered with a breath. For one moment, just a second, she dared to think that they still had an effect on her, that she could talk him down if they just talked to one another, but he had to understand… "I know you want me back, Rumple. It's...it's never gonna happen," she stated clearly. She was more than willing to work with him to raise their son together, the right way, the proper way, without magic or shears or golden shackles…but he had to be willing as well! Why did this have to end in tears or either of them?

"I know," he answered without batting an eye, as if he had already accepted the truth of it. "But I cannot lose another son, Belle. I won't. Not if I can stop it."

He was carrying something in his hand that she hadn't noticed before. But now that he held it up so that she could see that it was a glass bottle.

It was filled with golden dust.

"No," she muttered staring at it in horror. He was not going to do this! He couldn't! She wanted so to believe that he wouldn't! But she knew deep down that it was up to her to see that he didn't. Her legs gone numb she staggered over to the elevator, her only hope of escape since he was blocking the door and she didn't want to expose Rapunzel to him! She pushed the device to open the doors and watched him advance over her shoulder.

"Do you really think you can out run me?" he questioned as she

"No. Rumple. No!" she barked as it rattled in the shaft. The doors opened as she predicted and she flipped the switch to close them on the far side, but the moment she turned she saw his hand preventing the doors from closing. He advanced further, and she felt tears gather in her eyes as her heart hammered in her chest. He couldn't do this. He just couldn't! Not the man she'd known! Not the man she'd fallen in love with and slept beside and held through his nightmares! How could he think to do this instead of the alternative!

"Why?" she demanded. If this was his choice, then she wanted to hear it from his own mouth! "Why...why are you doing this?"

"After all this time, you must know. I will never be the man you think I can be," he answered obediently.

The words gave her pause.

No. After all this time, she knew that was what he thought, but she refused to believe it! He was a self-fulfilling prophecy. He didn't think he could be the man she saw, and therefore he didn't try to be, believing that it was an excuse simply because it was inevitable, but she knew otherwise because she'd seen a side of him that so few had! It wasn't a matter of whether or not he could be because she knew that he was! He just had to believe it as she did! That was the true tragedy in all of this! That he didn't believe he could be good!

"It... it doesn't have to be like that."

"I'm afraid it does," he answered. "When we met…I told you I was a difficult man to love. But more than that, I think..." he paused, and she could see the side of him that only she saw, she could see the man full of fear and panic and vulnerability, the man that she had always been able to reach. She felt hope stir as his chin trembled. What? What did he think? "I think I'm a man no one can love."

She opened her mouth and tried to speak, but the words had no sound to them. There it was again. So long as he believed that, so long as he believed that no one could love him, he would continue to be a man no one could love! All he had to do was believe it! Believe that this man she saw in front of her now didn't need his magic or his power and he could have what he wanted, what she knew he truly longed for. A family.

"But this son, with him, I can start over. Maybe he can love me."

He was smiling. Not because he was happy, but because he was hopeful that his plan would work. He was hopeful that with the shears he could take his son's love, the love he felt he never had from Neal and that…that was the root of all this trouble.

This wasn't just about their boy; it was about Neal as well. He saw this son as a chance to start over, to fix the mistakes that he had with Neal. But this son wasn't Neal! And if he took his love without ever feeling as though he deserved it…no matter what happened, he would always be truely without it.

"Not like this," she insisted taking a step closer and holding back tears. She couldn't believe she had to explain this to him yet again! Though in all fairness, it felt like ages since she'd had to tell him, but there was a time that she felt she was a broken record, saying the words every chance she got. "Don't give up, Rumple. I-I never wanted you to be perfect. I just wanted you to try!"

"I have," he argued. "And look what's happened…I've only ever pushed you away."

No. He hadn't tried. Not lately, not since Zelena's defeat. He hadn't because he always placed his magic first and foremost, used it as his crutch, his cane. He pushed her away because it was either her or magic…and he always chose magic. That wasn't trying. What they'd had before…before Lacey, before he'd gone to Neverland…that had been trying. He hadn't pushed her away then. The world had pushed them apart. But he hadn't. He had to know that!

"Now, uh...I-I'm afraid…" he looked down at the bottle in his hands and fiddled with the top of it before taking a few steps forward, reminding her of how close she'd let herself get to him after promising not too. She backed herself up against the far wall of the elevator. With nowhere to run, she wondered if this was the end of her everything. "All I really have...is this. Magic."

She nodded. Yes. That was all he had because that was what he chose to honor over and over again. And if he did this he might tell himself that it was for his family, for his son but it wasn't. It was for him. It was choosing magic to get what he wanted, and it was all wrong!

"And it may get you your son," she responded. "You know there's a price. You won't just…'push me away' again. You'll lose me forever. Is that a price that you're willing to pay?" she questioned looking him in the eye.

Suddenly his gaze flickered from sadness and determination to something more, something she wanted to see. Fear. He was afraid of what she'd said. And that was good because she was too. A lot had happened between the two of them, and it was true that most of the time she had given up hope that they could ever really be together on the same side again but this son was their chance to do that. Maybe not as lovers, but as parents! She was willing to do that for their son. But if he did this, if he used magic and took him away from her and took himself away from her…she'd be gone. She wouldn't even be a thorn in his side! He pushed. But did he really want to push her so far she couldn't pull him back?

She held her breath as a muscle twitched in his jaw, and she knew that they were at a crossroad. Either she'd lose everything, or they'd get a second chance. The choice was his. Magic? Or a family?

With no further words or explanation, Rumpelstiltskin turned and walked away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Loved this scene. It was straightforward and sad and even hopeful in a way. Not much to say to make it better or worse except that I truly believe they are both being honest in this conversation or at least as honest to their beliefs. Because remember, just because you believe something doesn't make it true.
> 
> Thank you, Taisch, for your kind comments! I really appreciate that. And I'm glad that you enjoyed the last chapter and how Rapunzel is being dealt with. Sorry, I had to get rid of her again, but it was best, we'll see where she was in the next chapter...and then get rid of her again because that is what this episode required sadly. Peace and Happy Reading!


	49. One Right Thing and One Wrong Thing

Rumple was gone. And much to her amazement, he didn't use magic to do it. Instead of vanishing in smoke as was his typical custom, she watched in amazement as he left the elevator and turned toward the door. A moment later sunlight flooded the front room before she heard the sound of the door closing.

He'd gone. Simply walked away. And her…

She put her hand to her stomach and felt the still flat pane. She let out a sigh of relief. It hadn't been long ago that she'd been excited to see a small bump that would be the first outward sign of her son, the one that was due any day now according to her books. But now she was just as thrilled that she didn't feel it. Rapunzel might actually-

Her breath caught in her throat as she suddenly came to her senses. She wasn't here alone. "Rapunzel," she breathed remembering. "Rapunzel?!"

She tore out of the elevator, her heart racing when she didn't call back and the library was silent. No. No, no, no, she had to be here! She'd just been here and if Rumple had done something to her, then she'd never forgive-

Her heart stopped as she came to the table filled with books. She was there, right where she said she'd be. Her head was on the table, resting just over her arm which was at an odd position. Her eyes were closed.

No.

"Rapunzel?! Rapunzel! Please!" She ran to her and gave her a little shake.

She was breathing.

"Rapunzel…Rapunzel wake up, please wake up."

Her eyes fluttered. She looked up at her from her place, looking utterly confused before-

Rapunzel snapped up. She took in a deep breath and began looking around as if to find someone.

"It's okay!" she breathed putting a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay. It was…it was Rumple! But you're okay! I was…I was so afraid he-"

"I'm…I'm fine!" Rapunzel reassured her feeling her body and shaking out her arm as if checking for breaks or injury. "I'm fine, I don't even remember, but…" suddenly her eyes went wide and she looked over at her. She looked at her stomach, the one she was still holding with her hand and then grabbed her other one. "You're not…he didn't…"

"No!" she breathed shaking her head. "He didn't…almost but…"

Suddenly she found it difficult to breath as the incident began to come back to her. He hadn't. He'd had the dust. He'd looked her in the eye. He'd told her the truth.

He hadn't used the dust.

"Um…okay," Rapunzel suddenly looked around the library then grabbed her hand and forced her to her feet. "It's really quiet, Emma and Killian aren't back…it's not safe here, we really should go where there are more people and call Emma, try to track someone down."

"The diner," she quickly instructed as Rapunzel pulled her out of the library, but not before looking both ways out the door first. "I don't want to be far from here."

Rapunzel listened, and they walked down the street, huddled together as if bracing themselves against a coming wind or storm. People stared at them, but she didn't care. The diner was like a breath of fresh air. Though it wasn't exactly crowded, it was filled with just enough people, enough chatter that she realized just how isolated she'd been these last few days. Hook's ship, Rapunzel, Flynn, Emma…she really had been entirely consumed.

"You two look like you've seen a ghost? Bed bugs been biting?" Granny inquired as Rapunzel helped her over to a stool and she sat down.

"Something like that…" Rapunzel answered.

She was shaking. She didn't realize she'd been shaking. Why was she shaking? Why did the tips of her fingers feel numb?

"Can I get you some tea?" Granny asked.

Tea. Tea would be welcome. Her mother always did tell her that a good cup of tea could warm her to her bones.

She nodded in Granny's direction.

"Actually, can I have a soda? Something sugary? I'm feeling a bit…out of it," Rapunzel requested.

"Coming right up," Granny answered as Rapunzel played with her phone.

"I feel so odd. Like I could go right back to sleep again…Emma!" she piqued as she looked over and expected to find Rapunzel on the phone with Emma. But her heart fell the moment that she saw her shake her head. "When you get this give me a call back, something just happened and we're at Granny's. Call us back."

The moment she hung up she watched as she pressed a few more buttons and held the phone to her ear again. Granny came over and delivered her soda and she took a long drawn out sip through the straw before rolling her eyes. "Flynn!" she finally gasped. "Hey, listen, everything is alright, but I want you to call me back when you get this. I have to catch you up on some things. Thanks." She hung up and set the phone aside before looking her over. "You doing okay."

No, not really, but she'd be better as soon as Granny got back with her-

The door to the diner opened and she was relieved to see Emma stride inside with Killian behind her and her phone in her hand. "Hey! I got your message. What's going on? What happened?"

"He came to the library," she exclaimed before Rapunzel could explain. "I thought you were going to use the squid ink-"

"We did, he fought it off before we could get the dagger or the Shears," Emma explained. "We ran into…complications," she muttered glancing at Killian.

She felt fire spark inside her again. "Complications"? She had nearly lost her baby because of complications?!

"Yeah, well so did we. One minute I'm looking up books and the next Belle is waking me up," Rapunzel explained calmly.

"It was Rumple!" she stated with a deep breath. "He must have known you were there and put you to sleep. He came after me."

"The dust?"

"He didn't use it. He was going to but…" breath invaded her lungs. Feeling returned to fingers and an unexplainable feeling of calm spread through her. "But he didn't," she muttered quietly. "He didn't do it."

"Why not?" Emma questioned.

She opened her mouth but jumped as a harsh ring tone cut through the diner. She looked over her shoulder and saw it was Rapunzel's cell phone. "It's Flynn," Rapunzel stated. She reached out and squeezed her elbow. "You gonna be okay for a few minutes?" She nodded. Rapunzel took her drink and her cell phone and disappeared into the back toward the bathrooms. She looked back at Emma.

"I…I know I should be relieved…" she explained with a deep breath

"Well, no one's gonna blame you for still worrying," Emma finished. "Gold did the right thing today. That doesn't mean he'll do the same tomorrow."

"Emma's right," Killian added. "And we have to make sure that he can't use that magic on you, and we will."

"Here you go," Granny interrupted coming over to them. "One cup of chamomile. It soothes the soul."

"Thanks, Granny," Emma said she walked away.

"Aye, love. Drink up. Helps calm the nerves," Killian smiled.

Nerves. Was that what she was feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"Excuse us, love," Killian commented pulling on Emma's elbow so they could talk away from her.

That wasn't a problem. Though they still hadn't explained what complications kept them and nearly took her son away she was still hung up on a single word.

Nearly.

Rumpelstiltskin had nearly taken her son. And while she couldn't quite identify what she was feeling right now she wondered if it was what everyone thought it was as she took a sip of her tea. Nerves? Fear? Worry? Emma was right…he had done the right thing today. But that didn't mean he always would. In fact, it had never meant that. He did one good thing, and then followed it up with something cruel. Killian was right and so was Rapunzel…so long as he had that dust, she wasn't safe.

"Oh!" her breath caught in her chest and she felt a smirk spread across her face as she felt something flutter inside of her. It was nothing big. A small tiny movement just below her belly button that forced her hand to press there. Her smirk transformed into a smile as she realized…it was her baby, her son. She'd felt him move within her, just a small squirm, barely more than the flutter of butterfly wings. But it was movement a small reminder he was still there, healthy and ignorant right beneath her heart where he belonged for the next few months. The joy she felt at that one small movement was so incredible! It was overwhelming enough to chase away the images of what had just happened, the fear that she felt, the confusion and turmoil...

She turned to find Rapunzel and tell her something good had finally-

"Ah!" She nearly jumped in surprise and braced herself against the counter when she felt him move again. That one was not a squirm. It was more a kick and-

Against her hand, the one on her belly she felt something else, something more than movement…growth! A small bump. Then a bigger bump.

She felt her teacup fall from her hand and heard it shatter on the floor as she realized…

No!

"Belle?" Emma shouted from across the room. "What is it? Are you okay?"

No. No, she was clearly not okay! Her stomach was swelling and…Rumple had made the wrong choice! "The tea," she explained. He hadn't wanted to do this to her face so he'd put the dust in her tea somehow and-

Suddenly she didn't care as she let out a gasp and felt the skin across her belly stretch uncomfortably. So much so that she thought it would split open.

"No! No!" she exclaimed reaching out to help support the weight she suddenly felt on her back and dropping against her hips. "No! This can't…this can't be happening!" she cried. "Please no!" she gasped as she felt a sudden pain below her belly button, like a cramp but…but worse. So much worse! "No!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There goes Rapunzel, and there's the scene we saw. This chapter kind of reminds me of a filler chapter, though it very clearly isn't. And if it feels choppy and short, like we're moving too quickly from one thing to another, it's meant to feel that way. I wanted to write it so the reader would feel like there are a million things happening at once and it's hard to keep track of it all, just as Belle would feel.
> 
> Well, only three chapters left! Congrats, you are three chapters away from reading the toughest of the Moment's Fictions! Kudos to you! Peace and Happy Reading!


	50. Labor and Delivery

There was something wet between her legs, something that splashed against her ankles that wasn't tea.

"Belle!" Rapunzel ran back into the room and to her side. "I heard you yell-oh my…"

"Ah!" she cried as another cramp rocked through her body and around her back, up her spine! Oh she only wanted to make herself smaller, to hug her legs to her chest to ease the pain but she knew she couldn't! Her belly wouldn't allow her to, her son…

She cried out again. No sooner had one cramp ended did the next begin. She felt her knees begin to weaken. She heard people speak and then there was the sound of a chair scraping and hands easing her into a sitting position as she struggled to breathe.

Rapunzel was on one side. Emma on the other. Granny was at the counter.

"Her water broke!" she yelled.

"Those are contractions; she's in labor we have to get her to the hospital."

"No!" she insisted, that dreaded word snapping her to attention. "No…no hospital! I've seen too many babies taken from there! I won't let Rumple get mine! Ah!"

Not a cramp. She didn't know a lot, but she knew enough that cramps didn't come with childbirth. It was a contraction. Her pregnancy had been sped up and now her body was doing it's best to get rid of the fully gown baby within. Her baby was coming! She could feel herself swelling with the tides, but she couldn't let it happen here, or at the library, and certainly not at the hospital. It had to be somewhere safe. She had to think fast.

"The convent," she gasped. "The fairies can put a spell up to keep out Dark Magic and Jackie…Jackie delivers…she…ahh!"

"Breathe! You aren't breathing through them!" she heard Granny shout as she squeezed her eyes shut and squeezed Rapunzel's hand so that she was sure she must have been breaking her bones.

"Jackie? Who's Jackie?" Emma questioned.

"It's her doctor," Rapunzel answered. "I can get her number and call her."

"Call her," Emma ordered. "We've got to go now."

"No, no!" she cried as her chest heaved. She grasped Rapunzel's hand. "I don't have anything. I need…I need…" But she couldn't recall what she needed. She just knew that she did. She needed…things! She couldn't have a baby without things! She didn't even have a crib.

"I know," Rapunzel breathed. "I know, don't worry, I'm going to get it. I'm going to-"

She cut Rapunzel off as she screamed again and spread her legs just so she could tuck herself together to help the pain.

"Whoa! Okay. She's got to go now!"

Before she could say anything someone, Killian, had lifted her up off the chair and was carrying her away. "Rapunzel!" she managed to yell as she felt her stomach give off another spasm.

"I know!" she heard her friend call. "I'm going to call Jackie and Flynn; we'll be right behind you!"

It was such a strange feeling that had come over her. The drive to the hospital was…odd. Emma had to drive and she had no interest in sharing a back seat with Killian, so they let her lounge in the back as something that felt like waves rocked her body. It would come on, starting toward the top of her swollen abdomen and moving downward, intensifying at every moment until the cramping and twisting finally began to recede again. The problem was that it only just barely would leave before another would begin. Her breathing was erratic, coming out in short puffs that made her feel like she just couldn't catch her breath as Emma drove like a mad woman through the streets of Storybrooke and up to the convent. And yet…

Her body was occupied, and frenzied, but her mind was not.

Her mind was working just as it always did. She thought about each turn, tracked where they were and how much longer it would be before they were there. She thought about Rapunzel and all the research they'd done. She held on to the regret that after this baby came she had no plan, no ideas, no way to save him from what his father had planned for him. She wished she had a plan. She wished she knew what was happening to her.

Pressure.

She began to feel it when Emma finally parked the car on the grounds nice and close to the front door. It was there just at the center of her and it was odd to her how she knew that the only way to give rid of it was to push even though she'd never done this before. It was like the first time she'd had sex. She might not have known what to do, but her body did.

Killian managed to get her out of the car and carried her into the convent as Emma yelled for help. She was only vaguely aware of the Blue Fairy coming to their aid. Of the quick explanation of the dust and Gold arriving, of the orders given to put protections around the convent against the Dark One's Magic. It wouldn't hold him forever, but it would hold him long enough.

Hold him.

Soon she'd be holding her son.

The son she'd conceived only weeks ago.

How had they gotten here?

The fairies took her into a back space with small iron bed and bedside tables. It must have been the infirmary. Killian placed her on a bed and though she laid down she had the urge not to almost immediately.

"Belle, don't do that yet, not until the doctor gets here!"

She cried as she lay back in the bed, overwhelmed by the sudden pain by the rush of anxiety. A cell phone's ring cut through the pain but the words that followed in the conversation didn't phase her. The one's that followed did.

"That was Rapunzel," she heard Emma explain. "She's almost here but the hospital just called her back. Jackie is in the middle of a delivery. She can't make it here for another two or three hours."

"We'll do our best to keep her comfortable," Blue insisted quickly. But the words were barely out of her mouth before she felt another wave move over her and let out a cry at it. The pressure was getting worse.

"All due respect, I don't think we have that long," Emma explained.

There was some conversation among the fairies about who had assisted Jackie with the most births and the conclusion, to her surprise, was a fairy that looked younger than she did! Though she knew that looks could be deceiving. The fairy was elected to take over and as she cried out at the pain the world seemed to begin to shift and so did her belly. Emma was at her side, telling her what she remembered of childbirth and how she needed to breath to get through the pushing. A sheet was placed over her legs, delicates were moved aside, and when the younger fairy sat between them and touched her she felt no shame just relief as she mentioned something about a crown.

She'd never in her life been so torn. In more ways than one. Her body wanted this to happen, needed it to happen and be over with as quickly as possible. Her head wanted him to stay right where he was. She couldn't protect him if he was outside her body.

"Mother!" one of the nuns called hurrying over to the place Mother Superior was watching. "Rapunzel and Flynn Rider are here, and…so is he."

She felt the entire room go still.

"Where?"

"Outside, just beyond our protections. He's trying to break through."

She let out a groan. "Oh no. No, no, no!"

"Are our spells holding?"

"For now."

"Good, get whatever available fairies you can to continue to strengthen the barrier."

"Belle…" the young fairy called as though she'd been trying to get her attention for some time. "It's time to start pushing."

No. No, it wasn't. In her heart she knew that she couldn't expose her child to the cruelties of this world and the plans of his father, but her body didn't respond to thinking at the moment. Emma helped bring her shoulders forward and padded her back against pillows so that half of her was hanging off the bed.

She wondered if she'd get enough time to say good-bye.

Pushing was easy and hard all at once. There was really nothing to it, no art or science. It was just allowing her body to do what it wanted to do. But the energy it required, the way her muscles clenched and fought it at the same time they embraced it was exhausting. The breathing! Emma kept trying to remind her about the breathing! But it was so hard to remember! So hard when all she wanted to do was sleep and continue and rest and prevent it all at once. The times between pushes were almost like salvation. The pain seemed to evaporate. Her lids were heavier and heavier all the time!

"Belle, you have to stay with us, now!"

"Belle! It's almost time."

"You're almost there."

"Someone get Rapunzel she needs help!"

She closed her eyes as she rested a top the pillows, hearing every heartbeat and trickle of sweat running down her body. She wasn't prepared for this.

From somewhere in the recesses of her mind she heard a small child, a boy, ask to be pushed on a swing and as she looked around for him she found herself in a dark cemetery, surrounded by tombstones and dusts of light. She was dreaming again.

She felt her heart race as she searched for-

There.

Her son was here. Sitting in one of the swings, just as she'd always seen him. She let out a sigh of relief and clutched a blanket tighter around her shoulders. Why was the world so cold all of a sudden. "I was uh...I was afraid I wouldn't be able to find you," she breathed moving toward him.

"You'll always find me…when you need to," he answered, smiling up at her from the swing. She beamed and rested her hand on his shoulder. He was just like his brother. Always there when she needed him, but…how would that change. This was a dream. She was in the middle of labor. What would happen when he was born? If he had the answer to how she could save him…now was the time to give it. Before another contraction rocked her body.

Her son motioned to the empty swing beside him and she took it. "So, look. We don't have much time now, okay? Your father's coming, and he will use those shears," she explained to him. "So, please, if you know how to stop him, you have to let me know."

"You know what you must do," he answered.

She knew? She knew what she had to do? No. No, that wasn't true, she'd been searching day and night and the only viable conclusion she'd come to so far was-

No. No, it couldn't be.

But he was looking at her with such assurance.

"No," she choked out. She wasn't sure she was strong enough. "No!" she cried launching herself out of the swing to stand before him. "No. No. I can't. I won't. There has to be another way." Her voice echoed off the walls of the hallowed dream that she knew would never come true, the dream that was ending right in front of her eyes.

Her son, strong and brave, rose from his seat still looking confident as ever. "There isn't. As you said, we're out of time."

There were tears gathered in both of their eyes as he came to the natural conclusion that they were both left with and she felt her heart break in her chest. It was more painful than the contractions and she ignored the dull ache the dream suddenly had to it. She reached out to hold her son. "I love you," she cried against him, unsure how she could ever bear to let go. "I love you more than anything in the world." The sob tore through her body as the pain intensified and the grip her son had on her tightened.

"I know. And I won't ever forget it," he whispered in her ear as she cried. Acceptance spread through her. She hated herself for giving in so easily. But this was what she had to do. This was the way it had to be.

"Oh, and Mother…" he muttered releasing her so quickly she was sent off balance. She looked up into his beautiful face, marveling at the work they'd done, with no doubt in her mind that if things had been different, and Rumpelstiltskin had made other choices, they could have made the world a far better place together just by making this boy. "Don't forget the book," her son finally muttered.

Book?

"What book?" she questioned.

But suddenly the pain that she felt was growing in intensity once more and she felt pressure. So much pressure that she was screaming when she woke up, sitting perfectly upright, Emma still clutching her hand as she pushed harder than she'd pushed before, even through the exhaustion she felt.

She felt something slippery pass between her thighs as the intensity of the contraction faded, and she lay back on the pillows.

Emma rubbed her shoulder as her determination spread through her.

This was the way it had to be.

A moment later, she heard a baby cry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the record, the fairy that delivers Gideon is NOT the fairy that Rumple attacked. I know a lot of people thought that, and I even considered it for a good long time. But I eventually had to pull up two images of the women and found that there was a pretty obvious freckle on one that was not present on the other. So while they look similar they are not the same person. I promise, I checked. Also, I hope the transition from delivery to dream is okay. It was a tricky one to write out because of the way they cut those scenes together. I'm not really pleased with that, but I do feel that I've done the best that I can on that one.
> 
> Only two chapters left. Gee, I wonder what's going to happen next?! Actually, a whole lot you don't know about because the next chapter was just a cluster of crazy things the writers didn't think through when they put this storyline together. But more on that next, I suppose. Peace and Happy Reading!


	51. A Dream Come True

Love grew. It multiplied in irrational and unexplainable ways. The moment she heard the first cries she felt not an ounce of love fade or break in her heart. She still loved her father just as much as she always had, even despite his shortcomings. She still loved her mother and Grandmother as though she had seen them yesterday, though the pain of their loss had faded with time. Samuel, Gaston, Lydia, Will, Rapunzel, Ruby…this didn't change how she felt about any of them. Her love for them didn't fade in comparison. It didn't even change how much she loved Rumpelstiltskin, and she knew she still did, even after all that he'd done. It was impossible not to at a moment like this, which was only possible because of the two of them and the love they had shared once upon a time. Now she had proof that it was real. Living breathing proof.

Nothing had changed and yet the moment that the fairy dropped a squirming crying infant down onto her chest everything was different. Her heart expanded and grew to love this tiny being far more than she knew it was possible to love.

She'd done brave things before. But she'd done them out of conviction and even fear. She hadn't been happy to leave her father's castle. She hadn't been brave then, as she thought, she'd just done what needed to be done. But this…

Suddenly she knew that she would step in front of a moving train with a smile on her face if it meant she would save his life. She would change her life, move every day for the rest of her existence, find the cure to any disease…she would even steal a cursed dagger and murder its owner, knowing full well the effects it would have on her, if it meant keeping him safe from harm.

The Fairy took him from her arms moments later, and she watched her baby, not far from her, surrounded by fairies that were busy cleaning and wiping him down. Emma was muttering something next to her that she couldn't care to try and understand as she watched the little human they'd made intently. He screamed and cried, though rationally she knew it probably made no difference, her heart told her that he wanted her, that he was crying to be closer to her. In that moment, she thought of the most unexpected face. Neal.

She recalled her thoughts on the dagger and how that curse had affected not just Rumple, but him as well. She couldn't lose another son. She had only just barely managed to hang on after Neal had died if she lost this one, if that same Dark Curse hurt this boy as it had her best friend…she wouldn't ever smile again. She loved Rumpelstiltskin for giving him to her, this precious gift she never thought she needed…and she hated the Dark One for forcing her to do what had to come next.

She had to get him far away. But the gold bracelet gleamed on her wrist and she knew, everything in her heart and head screamed at her all at once as it never had before, that the safe place wasn't with her. Not so long as she wore this bracelet. The time to stand in front of that train was now. Difficult as it was.

The moment the fairies helped her sit back in bed and dropped him clean and swaddled and perfect right back in her arms she knew she could have spent a lifetime just staring into his face, memorizing every line and wrinkle. But every moment that she spent was one more moment the Dark One had to plan and scheme. She couldn't let the Dark One take him from her. And she couldn't let the Dark One raise him. He'd ruined more lives than he even knew. She wouldn't let her son's life be one of them. She was lucky he hadn't burst in here already.

"Oh my goodness!"

She glanced over to see Rapunzel walking into the room with a small brown basket in her hands. She had tears in her eyes as she looked not at her but at the bundle in her arms who was slowly quieting. She set the basket aside and sat on the bed beside her.

"He's beautiful," Rapunzel breathed smiling at them.

Rapunzel wasn't the only one. She was smiling too. She hadn't realized it until just this moment, but she was. Even with her heart breaking, she was absolutely beaming. She had never been prouder of anything she'd ever done in her life like she was proud of this little man. He was going to grow up. He was going to be brave and strong. She knew exactly who he was with just a look.

"Um…we don't have much for you," Rapunzel muttered looking at the basket she'd set on the floor. "Flynn dug up an outfit from the basement, and Ayana sent along one of her teddy bears for you. I thought you might need this though…" Rapunzel reached down into the basket that she'd brought and pulled something green out that nearly made her want to cry. It was like her son had planned this perfectly. "So you can read it to him just like you wanted to," she explained setting  _Her Handsome Hero_ down on her lap.

The book. That book. It was the most valuable thing in the basket.

It was hard to believe that only an hour ago she was so worried about having things. Now she knew that there was only one thing in the world that mattered, but the book being with her was a close second.

She felt tears begin to well up in her eyes. "Rumpelstiltskin?" she questioned as she rocked her son in her arms and fought to hold in the tears.

"He's outside, he hasn't penetrated the barrier yet."

She nodded. That was good. It was really good. But she knew that it wouldn't last and even if it did…they couldn't stay here forever. She had to make the preparations. "Can you…can you give us a minute. Just a minute?"

"Yeah, I'll keep the others at bay as long as I can," she breathed. Then she reached forward and planted a kiss on her son's cheek that would have brought her to her knees if she wasn't already sitting. In a perfect world she knew who she would have chosen to guard this child. But it wasn't perfect. And Rapunzel and Flynn were not strong enough. Or magical enough.

The sound of the door closing broke the tears she felt as she let out a sob and realized that she was brave enough to do this. She was. For him and him alone.

"I'm sorry," she choked as she held him close and placed a kiss on his face. "I'm so sorry. I love you. I love you so much and if there was any other way I would do it. But if this is the only way I can save you…the only thing I have to give you now is your best chance at life. I can't come with you. It would be too risky. But I will think of you every moment of every day for the rest of my life. My boy. My Gideon."

As tears fell from her eyes, she reached out and found a pen on the table beside her and opened  _Her Handsome Hero_ to its title page. It was perfect, sheer fate that Rapunzel had brought this book. She had no idea that she'd named him until it came tumbling out of her mouth…but it was perfect. And now…now she had only one message. Short and sweet. All she had that she wanted to teach her son had to be contained in one simple note. She could have written novels to him if there was time…but there was none left, not anymore.

_To my son, Gideon. Remember to be strong and true. I will always love you. Mother._

And that was it. Nothing else in the world seemed to matter other than those words. "I love you," she whispered. There was the strangest most out of place sense of peace that she had about it all suddenly. Difficult as it was, she knew that this was the right thing to do.

"Hey, you up for some visitors?" she glanced over at the door and quickly wiped her eyes, letting her smile grow on her face before she faced Emma.

"Yeah, sure," she breathed closing the book and rocking him side to side once more.

Emma, Killian, Rapunzel, and Flynn came into the room. All were mesmerized at the sight not of her but instead of her baby. And why shouldn't they be? He was the most perfect thing she'd ever seen in her life.

"He's wonderful, Belle, you did well," Emma muttered looking him over.

She nodded and smiled down at him. If he took any memories away from this day, she wanted them to be happy memories, filled with light and smiles. That was how she wanted him to remember her.

"Why the book?" Killian questioned immediately reaching forward and plucking it off her lap. "Bit much for a baby, don't you think?" he stated turning it over in his hands.

"It was her favorite growing up," Rapunzel answered for her. "She always wanted to read it to him as a child."

She nodded as she let her son's tiny hand wrap around her finger. "It's about a strong man, one born under the worst of circumstances who survives despite the odds against him and finds true happiness along the way. He's the one you're named for," she whispered, far more to her child than the others. "If you remember to be brave then you'll grow up to be just like him one day. Wouldn't that be lovely?"

As if content to destroy every happiness she felt, the lights around the convent suddenly dimmed. Though no one would dare to say why, she knew why. It was Rumpelstiltskin. Time was running out. It was now or never.

"Can you get the Blue Fairy for me? I have to ask her something."

Rapunzel nodded, then took Flynn's hand and the two of them left the room as Emma and Killian stepped back out of the room to give her another moment of privacy that she was beyond grateful for.

She held her son closer and savored every second.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel isn't just someone that I have to get rid of on occasion, she is a character that enables me to sometimes solve some problems. Like the book, for example. When I saw that Killian had the book in this episode I had to roll my eyes. There are only two options for having that book in the convent at that time. 1) Either Belle in the midst of her labor pains before they went to the convent said "wait, wait, I know I'm going to have a baby any second, but I really need to go check Her Handsome Hero out of the library first" and Emma let her. Or 2) after she had Gideon she told Killian, "Hey I know Rumpelstiltskin is trying to break in right now but would you mind running back to the library to get a book for me? K thanks." Yeah...both are pretty ridiculous, right? Rapunzel provides a fix all of that. I had Belle tell her in a previous chapter that she always wanted to read it to her children and then when I had Emma and Killian leave and Rapunzel follow to get her "things" it was a perfect excuse for her to run to the library, grab the book, and take it to Belle, thus fixing that little stupid mistake.
> 
> Thank you, thank you, thank you Taisch for your comments on the previous chapter. One more chapter. Odd, I know because I'm sure some of you are thinking "that's not where 6A ends", and you are correct, it's not. But unlike the television show, which understandably has to have cliffhangers and lead-ins and outs to other seasons and themes, I prefer to have my fictions focus on one central theme. I felt that the theme or main storyline of 6A for Rumbelle was the destruction of a relationship. Ater Belle sends Gideon away in 6x09 that destruction is complete. I could have included chapters beyond that, but I felt that everything after that moment contributed to their 6b theme or storyline and that, in my mind, was the restoration of a relationship. And so, with that knowledge, on we go...Peace and Happy Reading!


	52. The End of the Dream

Sooner than she would have liked there was the sound of the door opening and closing and footsteps coming ever closer to her. Rapunzel and Flynn were not there, she figured that it was because Rapunzel would have known her well enough to know that she wanted to be alone with Gideon. She just had no idea why. No one did.

Emma and Killian followed Mother Superior back into the room though and stood on the threshold a fair distance away. "Hey," she breathed looking up at Mother Superior. She was the only one that she would trust for this task.

"Belle," the fairy laughed with a wide smile. "Oh, congratulations!" she beamed stepping closer to the bed.

She laughed at the bittersweetness of it all. She was a mother. Nothing was ever going to take that away from her. Not even what was to come. "Thank you, Blue," she muttered, sniffling back the oncoming tears and reaching out for her hand before gazing back down at her son. He was beautiful. So, so beautiful.

"They said you wanted to see me," Mother Superior mentioned a moment too soon. It was always going to be too soon.

"Yeah," she choked out as her throat tightened. She could do this. It wasn't even a question. "Yeah, I need your help," she stated sitting forward.

"Of course. Anything."

Anything. That was good.

"Here," she muttered motioning to the seat on the bed Rapunzel had left vacant. The Blue Fairy took it and she savored the feeling of her son in her arms one last time. "Will you be his fairy godmother?" Blue's eyes widened and she let out a surprised gasp at the request, clearly touched. She was going to take that as a yes. Which was good, because she needed her for the next part that was so unspeakable the words burned her throat. "And will you take him somewhere safe, somewhere far away from all this?"

The Blue Fairy's eyes widened in shock for only a second, before shadows fell over them and she had the feeling that Blue understood far more than anyone else did. Especially Emma Swan.

"Belle, what are you doing?" she hissed from across the room.

She knew what she was doing. She knew what she had to do!

"Rumple will never stop. This is our son's only chance," she explained quickly before looking back at the Blue Fairy. "Please take him," she begged. "Just until this is all over." Until she could find a way to take the Shears or a way to get the cuff off…a way that they could be safely together again. If she couldn't take him away from this nightmare, then someone else had to do it for her and with Rumple looming the Blue Fairy was the only one capable enough that she trusted.

"But you don't know when or if that will come to pass," Blue pointed out.

She felt her stomach tighten as she looked down into his tiny face once more. "I believe it will. I have to believe it will." She had to believe there was no 'if' about it and that someday she would see him again. It was the 'when' that bothered her. How much would this face have changed the next time she saw it? Staring at him forever would not give her answers. As much as she wanted to hold on to him until the very last second she couldn't take chances. Every moment was one more he could use to get safely away from his father.

"Yeah…take him?" she cried somewhere between a question and an order. The Blue Fairy was her only chance, his only chance to go somewhere safe! They had to go. They had to go now!

"Of course," the fairy finally breathed in agreement.

She reached down and gave her son one more painful kiss on his forehead, then passed him to the woman and felt a weightlessness in her arms that she knew would haunt her until she held him again. "Thank you Blue," she cried as he settled safely with someone else and slept on.

Now or Never.

"There's, uh...there's one more thing. Killian!" she looked at the pirate then stared at the book he still had in his hand. He seemed confused at first, like he'd forgotten that he even had it, but then realized and stepped forward to give it to her. She showed it to the Blue Fairy. "Read it to him," she requested. "So that he knows that I'm always there for him…" she choked on the last words, looking down at her son because there was no need to tell the Blue Fairy while he was still in her sights.

She reached out and couldn't resist the urge to put her hands against him one more time. To touch him, to kiss him. "My Gideon...strong and brave...a hero for all time," she whispered to him as words became difficult. She reached forward and kissed him once more. Somehow she knew, that was her final kiss. "Don't you ever forget that I love you. Okay?"

She let out a sob and moved away from him. She watched as the Blue Fairy cast a spell over him that made him glow bright blue.

"Just to be sure he sleeps," she assured her as she cried. She nodded and-

Outside there was a crash, several actually as lights flickered out completely then turned back on.

"The barriers…that's Gold, he must have figured out how to cross them," Emma stated.

"Go! Please, go! Take him now! Before he comes!" she urged, giving the Blue Fairy a small push on her shoulders.

She nodded and rose from the bed with her son in her arms. "I'll let you know he's safe when I return." Before she could argue, or consider what that meant for her son and her plan, in the blink of an eye, the Blue Fairy was smaller than an apple and her son dangled beneath her fluttering form, cradled perfectly in his blanket with his book. A small flash of blue magic opened the window across the room and then quicker than she ever knew the fairy could fly, they were both gone.

Gone.

Someone had stolen her breath.

She felt as though her heartbeat had gone.

"I'll try to hold him off," Emma stated.

"No," she cried, wiping her eyes and restlessly shifting her blankets. "Gideon's gone, it…it doesn't matter now. You may as well let him come." She took a deep breath and did her best to clean up and at least look put together. She knew that this was the room he was going to come for her, without a doubt. But she wasn't going to let him see how hurt she was, how much all this had offended and killed her inside. He lost the right to see those emotions the moment he poisoned her with that tea.

Emma and Killian stayed right by her side at the bed. Though she wanted badly to stand Emma kept a hand on her shoulder and without Gideon to care for she was suddenly aware of all the aches and pains she hadn't known to expect in the lower part of her body. She wasn't sure she could manage to stand.

The doors to her room crashed open and footsteps told her the opportunity was gone. There he was. Rumpelstiltskin. Though Emma and Killian stood defensively between the two of them she watched as he looked around the room and took in the destruction that birth had on it before he looked at her, at her arms, and saw no infant. She felt that fire in her chest rise again as she stared at him wishing he knew the hurt he had caused her because of his lies and his choices and his precious magic that he had chosen yet again over his son. He could never learn.

"No," he whispered, suddenly turning his eyes upon the open window and moving closer to it. He stared out the window for a long time before taking a ragged breath and looking back at her. "You abandoned our son?" he accused with distain. She felt her eyebrows raise in detestation and shock. She hadn't abandoned him and how dare he suggest such a terrible thing. He'd left her with no choice but to do what she'd done. "After everything?"

"I didn't abandon him!" she hollered back. "I gave him his best chance at a good life. And after what you did, that is clearly a life without you in it."

And since he wouldn't remove the cuff…one without her as well. He'd done this. He'd sent their son away.

"Belle..."

"Rumple, no!" she yelled before he could make his excuses. She was tired of them. And as far as she was concerned she never wanted to see or hear from the Dark One again. Any love she had for him was too overshadowed by the pain of losing her son. "It's over. Okay? It's over! There's nothing left for you to say."

He seemed antsy. His legs moving as though he had no idea what to do now that his scheme had failed. He glanced out the window again then back at her.

"What's his name?" he questioned.

She let a snort escape her mouth and looked away. No. He didn't get to know that. Names were precious things and she knew what magic could be done with them. She didn't give up her son so he could follow after him again so easily.

"What's our son's name?" he demanded once more.

"Why?" she questioned smartly. "So you can use it to find him? You can do what you will with me, but I will never tell you," she hissed. If that meant that she was to be prisoner forever…so be it. At least that was an inevitable fate she'd chosen years ago.

"I would never hurt you, Belle," he answered shaking his head at her with a look of regret and sadness in his eyes that she was content to just ignore at the moment. "Never. But I will find our son."

He left the room not quickly enough and immediately she had the sensation like she'd been underwater for a very long time and could suddenly breathe. As soon as the door closed behind him she felt the weightlessness in her arms threaten to crush her and hollowness seize her chest. She heaved one dry sob. Then another and another until the pain that cut through her was far more than the pain she'd felt to bring her son into this world. It was debilitating. She dissolved there on the bed into a mess of tears and nothing else. Emma and Killian, doing their best to comfort her, called her friends in the wake of the man she once loved more than life itself.

She could forgive a lot with time, her father, her mother, Gaston, even Killian Jones...but she knew without a doubt this was the one thing she'd never be able to let go or escape.

This was unforgivable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, welcome to the end. I really hope that you enjoyed this story! The next story in the Moments series is Moments Explored and Unexplored. It covers everything that happens in Storybrooke during season 6B, it begins immediately after Belle sends her son away in "Changelings" and ends with Rumple and Belle finding baby Gideon in the cave again in "The Final Battle Part II".
> 
> Of course, if you liked what you read please give kudos or comments! I love getting those wonderful little gems in my inbox and communicating with the people reading on a personal level. And if you want to read more, please check out any of the other fictions in the Moments Series. For more information on the Moments Series, upcoming fictions, posting and publishing dates, or a reading order, check out my profile for updates. Peace and Happy Reading!


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